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Show Peppermint Monda;, slide at the park. What could I show someone worldly like Barton? The gas station, post office, and Grandma Ruby's flower garden? I doubt he'd be impressed. For a highlight of his visit I could talke him up to Jake's shack. Jason didn't say anything, but I got the impression he was no happier about the future visit than I was. I could tell the way he did his chores. He rammed the trash into the bags, overstuffing them until they burst. Jason hated trash duty, and usually did it as quickly and uncomplicated as possible. It would be harder on Jason than on me to have Barton come. Even if he was only twelve, his friends were always trying to be so tough. Tough was not a proper description of our cousin. Manicured described him much better, but then Jason and his friends didn't know the meaning of the word. I told Grandma Ruby about the awful visit coming up. I could tell her about anything, she was just that kind of person. She should've been a shrink. She'd be loaded by now and could afford a new house. She kept her house fixed up nice and all, but it was probably the oldest house in town. She looked at me with her small, shiny eyes, and I found it hard to believe she was in her seventies. Her eyes had more of a gleam of youth than Russ' did. "It's been two years since you've seen him, Carly. Good heavens child, people can change a lot in two years." I wasn't so sure, Grandma Ruby hadn't ever changed as long as I could remember. I think she was wrong about Barton though. It would probably be the first time she was wrong about anything, but I think she was. I didn't tell her I thought she might be wrong this time; I knew better. She usually gave good advice, and was proud of that. She knew a lot about |
