Granddad Norris

Mr Norris, a man of about seventy, peeked over his newspaper at the young girl sweeping his antique shop. He watched her with youthful excitement. His granddaughter, our Steph, swept and wiped with such energy that it is almost like watching a sport. He considered getting up and joining her, but he knew that any attempt to copying the young girl, as she bent over to wipe under shelves and stretched to wipe the tops, would crack his spine in so many places that it would probably turn to dust.

After she had tea with Mr Norris, Steph had gone and made decorations for the shop in preparations for Halloween. Then he had seen her studying at the lunch table and now, after dinner, how can she possibly still have the energy to do all this cleaning?

Mr Norris, on the other hand, is so tired that he could easily have fallen asleep at this very moment if he allowed himself to, but he couldn't do that just yet. His, recently acquired, favourite time of the day is still to come.

Soon, Steph finishes her cleaning, and she takes off her gloves and her apron and takes them into the kitchen.

After a bit of tinkling of metal, and a large bang that made Mr Norris jump from his seat. Steph came over to him with a mug of tea. She handed it to him and sat down on his lap. Mr Norris took a sip and tried to set it down on the table beside him, but there were some bead necklaces and statues on it, which he remarked that he 'forgot to move this morning'. So, he leaned forward and placed to place his cup on the floor beside his chair.

"G-Granddad." Steph exclaimed softly as he brushed his cheek past her chest. Mr Norris smiled for a moment but felt guilty right away.

"My girl, I appreciate everything that you do – and I know I've said this already – you don't have to work so hard. It just isn't right for a girl your age to be doing so much – I didn't let you stay with me, so you could work like a slave."

"Please let me do at least this much, granddad." Steph begged. "I would feel guilty if I lived on your kindness and gave nothing back."

"If you're talking about guilt, I have my fair share of it too." Mr Norris said. "If Mrs Norris, bless her soul, ever saw that I even let you walk into the kitchen, let alone clean anything, she would have my ear… Look, my girl, I don't want you to get some idea into your head you owe me anything. I may not be your dad and I may not be around for very long, but the time that I do have, it is my honour and privilege to spend looking after you. Do I make myself clear?"

The moment he had finished speaking, to his surprise, the Steph began to cry and pressed her face against his chest. Had he gone too far? Mr Norris never good at dealing with people that cried. He got prepared to forfeit everything he said for now and try again another day.