Two Old Dogs A-Talkin

We're sitting on the front porch on a Summer's day reflecting on our lives. Age slowly & unmercifully continues to erode our old bodies. That's okay, we ain't complaining, no sir, complaining is for wusses! We discuss the wusses we've known in our lifetimes, we laugh it makes us feel childlike inside! The characters we've seen, we should write a book, instead of sitting , rocking the day away, we both nod our heads in agreement. Yes, tomorrow we'll start on that, tomorrow, it is!

A couple boys in their late teens are walking down the sidewalk, we look at each other and laugh at the same thing that we've laughed at for years now. It be them pants dragging the sidewalk, me & Earl, my best friend & neighbor. Earl laughs & says, "my Pa see me wearing britches like that, I wouldn't be able to sit down for a week"! You see there is much fun to have even when you're too old to do much except rock the day away on your front porch in the city. My Grandchildren ask, "what do you do all day Grandpa'? I tell them my day is full"! I love the look they give me! You know, crazy old man look! They be hurryin, scurryin, talkin on them damn cellphones! I'll ask them to come out on the front porch on a perfect day, it be like askin them to take out the trash, you know that look! Finally with much disgust & attitude I manage to get Nicole my oldest outside with me. "Sit in Earl's seat, he's at the Barber Shop getting his bald head shined"! Nothing, no sign of life out of Nicole, just that attitude look of boredom I was a-talkin about. I be a-talkin fun stuff, like me & Earl talk about, makin fun of Politicians and such. Nicole be over there wearing the letters off her cellphone, she calls it textin, I call it plum ass rude! I tell her, damn girl I'm tryin to visit with you for a few minutes, can't you put that dag-blasted demon of conversation away, let me see what's so important you can't look at me for maybe half an hour!!! I grab the Devil's toy out of her hand & put my spectacles on. Lord have mercy, my Grandbaby can't spell, she be 14 years old & don't know what a vowel is! I ask Nicki, "do you go to school girl"! She says "of course Grandpa"! I tell her, "you can't spell worth a hoot"! She gives me a even deeper look of disgust & boredom! "It's faster", she says with an ugly look in her child like eyes!

I couldn't help myself , I snatch that Devil toy out of her hand, ah oh! The look was scarier than watching some of the scary movies she likes to watch, I do, because I love her & want to be with her, watching her enjoying them gives me enjoyment, happiness. I don't interfere with my Daughters mothering, I enjoy time with my Granddaughter. Takin a cellphone away from a 14 year old, while she's textin, ain't a pretty sight! Her eyes, well let's just say she went from a baby face looking Angel to some of the things we view on them scary movies. That's it! Now she's done pissed Grandpa off & that little whipper snapper ain't getting that Devils toy back!!! She be a whinin, stompin her foot throwin a regular hissy fit! I tell her, "Nicki I got all day, sit down, your unlady like tantrum don't mean diddly squat to me, if you want this cellphone back, you're going to visit me, for 30 minutes, you can cry, stomp your feet, until they turn blue, you can act like a snot nose brat until your mother picks you up, that be up to you"!

I start off talkin to Nicki, about the first time I look upon her at the Hospital. So delicate, so tiny so beautiful, a little Angel. My heart was a fluttering, tears of joy overtook an ornery old man. It's unconditional love at first sight & I haven't touched you! I look at Nicki, she was a listenin, but them lips are still puckered, I turn my head to the side and smile. You came home & they put you in my arms for the first time, our eyes lock, I thought ah, oh! I thought sure you were going to cry, you touched my nose and smiled so big, the cloudy day popped into a clear sunny day! I can't look at you even as you sit there with that pouty face & see anything else. I see that beautiful baby, who has gave me, so much happines! That look of disgust and hatred over me takin away something so insignificant as a communication device breaks my heart. I have so much love for you, I wish to give you the happiness of simple pleasures. I look at her & the pouty look on the verge of temper tantrum tears has flip-flopped to  a caring face on the verge of loving tears. I still had a piece to speak, now was the time. Nicole I love you with all my heart! I give you a lifetime of advice in a few minutes. Absolutely nothing will ever be better in your whole life than a family's love. You'll grow up marry, have children, of that I'm sure, but, the unconditional love of family will never wither, never die, we will love you even when you don't love yourself, through any & all hardships, we'll be beside you spiritually even after we're long gone, because we're blood. I love you so much, I only ask for a few minutes of your time, to look me squarely in the eyes. I wish to give you the true meaning of love! That be something as simple as a few moments of time, just sitting enjoying the company of one another. Nothing in the world buys that, it's given!!!
Nicole jumps into my lap, just like when she was three years old, we cry tears of love, together! She rubs my nose and smiles, just like the first time I held her. About an hour later my Daughter, picks up her Daughter. She asks, "what's going on here"? We laugh as she goes inside. Two young men walk by with their underwear showing, I ask Nicki, "why do they wear their underwear showing"? Nicki laughs and says, "I don't know, all the boys wear them that way"! We laugh just like Earl & I, we are having as much fun as two old dogs a-talkin about life's fun moments, enjoying real conversation! Oh by the way she did ask for her cellphone back as she left. She said, "thanks Grandpa I love you". We spend every Saturday afternoon together after that communicating about everything. I catch her looking at me the way I look at her as we watch scary movies together. It's been many years now and Earl has passed on, but every Saturday afternoon Nicole visits me & we're like Two Old Dogs A-Talkin!!!  THANKS FOR VISITING GLEN VIEW, goodnight sleep tight!