Chapter One:
Sariah had been going to Alaska for the summer as long as she could remember. The treasury of her early memory was filled with her adventures there.
It was Sariah's mother's family who lived there in Alaska. She had many grand adventures with her father's side of the family too, of course. But this story isn't about that. This story is about change, maturing. Change in Sariah and her cousins when something important was taken away.
I suppose that that very summer began as Sariah finally arrived at her grandparents' house and her cousin Elena leaped into her arms.
"It's good to be back," Sariah giggled, struggling to hold up her eight year old cousin.
"Sarie! I am so glad you're here! Gloria doesn't want to do anything with me! Let's go paint our nails now...."
Elena's voice trailed off in Sariah's mind as she stepped into the house, her brothers and sister following.
Sariah kicked off her shoes and stepped onto the hardwood of the front room. The house was so beautiful! So enchanting in a personal, quaint way. Every where Sariah looked, a memory bubbled to the front of her mind. That stain on the kitchen table- we tried to make fig pudding there! Messy! Sariah chuckled to herself. The blanket rack in the living room- Gran put that there so we could keep our fort blankets on hand...
"Grampy!" squealed Elena, "They're here!"
A few words about Sariah's grandfather, before he is introduced: Grampy was the kind of Grandfather that appears as the 'typical grandfather' in books. The kind who takes his children fishing. Or at least he would, if he had lived somewhere moderately normal. (The cousins were disgusted by ice-fishing). In any words, Grampy was certainly grandfatherly. And loved to spoil his grandchildren.
"Sariah, my doll!" Grampy bellowed and scooped Sariah into his arms. Sariah's little brother Mark came running to Grampy.
"Grampy! Where's my present?" Mark cried, which Sariah cringed at, as it was extremely rude, although ritual for Mark.
"What present?" Asked Grampy, putting Sariah down, his face solemn.
"You know!" said Mark, gazing intently on Grampy's aged face.
"Oh, that." Grampy's voice was bored, but his eyes twinkled. "Go look around."
Grampy had been saying this for years and Mark knew just where to find his Fuzzy Peaches.
Sariah's twin little brother and sister, Sophia and Peter toddled in, cowering and clinging to Sariah's mother and father.
"They don't know their own grandfather?" Grampy was not impressed. "For the last time, Lucille, moving up here would be the best thing for the family!"
Lucille Hershey had been anxious to move away since High School. Her father knew she wasn't moving back.
Sariah's mother just smiled.
"Sophie," Sariah's father, Robert coaxed, "Go see Grampy...."
Sariah did not here the rest of this exchange, because Gloria and Emery had appeared in the next room. Elena pulled her along to meet them.
"Hello Sariah," said Gloria. Gloria's blond hair was perfectly styled, and her fashionable clothes were perfectly matched. Sariah felt quite insignificant next to her.
The story behind Sariah and Gloria: Gloria felt she had always been stuck with Sariah, being the oldest cousin. They had had lots of fun times when they were little, but Gloria was now fifteen, much to old to be finding secret passages in Grampy and Gran's house.
"Hello, Gloria!" Sariah smiled, "hi Emery!"
Emery grinned. "Hey, cuz."
Sariah felt much more at ease with Emery. They were exactly the same age, and loved to laugh together.
The four children, Gloria, Emery, Sariah, and Elena, walked down the stairs into the main basement room as they did every year, with Mark tearing after them, his mouth full of candy. (that part was usual too).
The basement had an extremely comfy feel, with its shaggy carpet and beige walls. And especially because the only furniture down there were puffy-
"Pink!" Elena screeched and dove for her favorite bean-bag chair before Sariah could sit there. She sighed and ruffled Elena's chocolate colored hair. Some things never change... And so Gloria sat on purple, Emery on yellow, and Mark squeezed into green. Sariah knew Gloria'd never give up her throne, so she went for her third favorite color.
"Move it, Emery," Sariah pushed a surprised Emery to the floor.
"No fair! I wasn't ready! Sarie!"
"You snooze, you lose," Sariah shrugged.
All the cousins (except Gloria) giggled as Emery was left to the gray pouffe. The cousins did this every year. Whoever was stuck with the gray beanbag was a sort of joke. Then they would talk and plan for the summer.
But for now, they were silent. Because they all had the same thing on their minds. Gran.
***This story is about a topic that means a lot to me, however, this story is not a parralel to my own experience and the characters do not represent specific people.***
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