The Adventures of Todd and Granny
(Alternatively: âI Saw Granny Ethel with the Devilâ)
Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V
The first time this colorful group entered the townâs local bingo hall, it hadnât been the best of days.
The host had difficulties overcoming Todd the Demonâs hulking presence and couldnât call out numbers without shaking and stuttering, and eventually just ran from the building altogether mid-game with a gaggle of players right behind him, and thereâs no playing bingo when thereâs no one else around.
There still arenât any other players around when the group decides to drop by today.
But the new host is blind as a bat save for whatever is a foot directly in front of him and he drones on without a care, calling out numbers without lifting his eyes from the computer screen that lotteries out the next. And the next. And the next.
Now, itâs the final round of the day.
Todd, sitting at the small round table that seats four (and only four, in the center of the large room with a dozen other abandoned tables around it), holds the tiny card marker in his large claws, stamping down a neon green dot on B-5âthe only successful spot on his card, so far, in any round.
Granny Ethel, though, is on fire. Only two diagonal squares away from her third solid BINGO and focusing intently, awaiting the host to call out O-8 and I-23 so she can claim that nice floral area rug sitting pretty on the grand prize table.
Sam and Todd have already agreed between themselves to help Granny Ethel get whichever prizes she wants if they happen to get a BINGO first.
Her only obstacle in this is Theodoreâwho only needs one more space to land his second BINGO for the day. Unlike Granny Ethel, his eyes are set on a shiny new tablet and heâs intent on claiming it.
Of course itâs all randomized and comes down to luck, but he could do a little better to be a team player. Especially after the lawnmower incident.
Todd could be mistaken, but he doesnât think he isâTheodore has yet to earnestly apologize to Granny Ethel, and almost an entire month has gone by since then. Honestly. Itâs as if he thinks everyone will forget if he just never brings it up again and it will all go away. Wellâthe salvaged lantana cuttings are sprouting speckled orange and yellow, at least, but it will take a while before they can be transplanted and grow back to their full glory again.
Maybe Todd will be lenient, and give Theodore until then to deliver said apology.
Granny Ethel gives a little cheer as the next number called lands her another spot on her diagonal almost-BINGO. One more to go!
The same number is on Samâs card, too, but heâs dozing off and already dropped the card marker back onto the table. Todd nudges aside one of his brown arms and puts a green dot on the center top row for him. Heâs closer to a BINGO than Todd is.
The caller clears his throat, taking a moment to cough hoarsely into a polka-dotted handkerchiefâthen cough again, and once more, before squinting down at the computer screen and doling out the next number.
âOh! Bingo! Bingo!â Granny Ethel yells, shooting up from her seat and waving her card in the air, moving faster than Todd has ever seen her move (she does, really and truly, get absorbed in the competition). Â
Her shout rouses Sam from his nap and he sits up, rubbing at his eyes. âNice job, Granny. That flower carpet is totally yours. Hope it fits in the car, though⊠Well, if it doesnât, we can just walk and carry it home for you.â
A big, happy smile spreads across her face as she shimmies around the table and darts forward to the host with card in hand, moving so fast sheâs a blue blur in her loose, long-skirted lilac-print dress.
Theodore crosses his arms and pouts, huffing an extremely audible sigh. Always a sore loser, that one.
But, well, itâs their final game of the week, and itâs only fitting that Granny Ethelâs win ends it. The host approves her BINGO and waves her along to the prize table, where she collects her new floral rug in her arms with an elated, toothy smile. Itâs a bit much for her to carry, taller even than the white poofs of hair on her head, so Todd holds out his hands and she passes the bundle over to him with thanks.
âOh, this will look just lovely in my bedroom!â she says brightly, hands clasped together as she shuffles along beside him. âSam, dear, do you think we have time to redecorate before you give us all a macramĂ© lesson?â
âDefinitely! Thereâs always time to help you out, Granny.â Sam nods pleasantly as they approach his car, which beeps as he unlocks it with his key fob. âI donât think Iâve seen your room before. Itâs the one at the back of the house, right?â He pops the trunk and looks over his shoulder at the carpet in Toddâs hands, and nods again. âYep; itâll fit.â
âThatâs right. Iâm afraid itâs become a bit clutteredâI donât even let Todd clean it on chore days.â
âNo wayâGranny, are you a hoarder?â
âHavenât you seen her house?â Theodore grunts as Toddâs sharp elbow bumps into him, but all he does is roll his eyes in response and skulk to his usual place in the back seat of Samâs old, half-painted, half-sanded sedan from a year Todd isnât even sure he remembers. Not bothering to help.
Well, thatâs typical Theodore.
Todd finagles the rolled-up carpet into the trunk space, making sure not to crumple or cram it, careful not to upset Samâs menagerie of old sneakers, a lumpy gym bag, and pile of wadded-up shirts, and closes the trunk securely over it all, satisfied. Then he escorts Granny Ethel to the other side of the car and helps her climb into the back seat opposite her grandson.
Heâd let her take shotgun, but there are only a few places he can rightly fit in the small car, and that just so happens to be the front passenger seat. Itâs low enough that he only has to hunker down and bow his head and horns just so that they donât scrape the top and not uncomfortably fold himself up like he would in the back.
Ah, if only Sam had a convertible.
Thankfully, the bingo hall isnât too far from Granny Ethelâs houseânothing is, really, in this small town, where the edge is only a ten minute car ride in any direction, but when they travel in such a large group, and when Sam offers, some days itâs just easier to drive. Especially when the grey clouds hanging overhead droop and sag, heavy with rain ready to fall at any moment.
(Sometimes Granny Ethelâs bones ache on days like this, tooâshe never says it, but they all know.)
They hurry into the house, with bingo prize in hand, and Granny Ethelâs first stop is the kitchen, because everyone is parched and in need of a celebratory midday snack. She and Todd had mixed up a nice pitcher of peach tea the day before, and itâs just wonderful on ice, garnished even with tiny lemon slices on the glass rims. That morning, Sam brought iced donuts along, and half of the box still remains for snack time. Â
Todd tucks the rolled-up rug safely into a corner and sits down to enjoy a chocolate-iced donut while Granny Ethel chatters on about which TV programs theyâre set to watch today, and about how sheâs always considered trying macramĂ© but just never had the chance. Sam, though, is a pro, and has been practicing it since his mom taught him when he was young. Apparently he is a master at weaving hanging basket cradles for plants.
Theodore, sitting crammed between Todd and Samâs broad shoulders (though one set broader than the other) broods in silence, barely touching even a single rainbow sprinkle on his pink-frosted donut. Barely touching his peach iced tea.
The small, round kitchen table has become quite cramped with their new population.
Moving through the halls is just as cramped, now, with two fully-grown men and a hulking demon trying to make their way through. It doesnât help that the hallways are narrow, but at least the bedrooms are bigger and easier to navigate.
Granny Ethelâs room is the largest in the house. Quaint and cozy, with a full-sized bed set against the center of the far wall, between two curtained, arched windows.
And hanging above said bed, on said wall, is a sight Todd thought heâd seen the last of: the old, rusted scythe from the back yard.
Hung up like a trophy, or a prized possession evenâonly, itâs no longer rusted. Itâs clean and polished, with its metal blade shining under the ceiling light, sharp and dangerous as a new cutlery knife. Totally out of place among the knitted and crocheted throw blankets and covered pillows and tapestries and embroideries dotted around the room. Completely out of place among the precious miniature porcelain trinkets crammed along the tops of dressers and shelves, and the decorative plates lining the highest shelves up near the ceiling.
It draws all of their attention except Granny Ethelâs, who doesnât seem to mind, who overlooks it as another decoration among many.
âI think that rug will look just wonderful in the center of the room, donât you think, dears?â She perches daintily on the edge of her bed, one hand on her lower back, and smiles at the space of carpet in front of her slippered feet. âThe florals match the wallpaper!â
Todd meets Samâs eyes for a moment, and the message passes through despite the communication barrier, though at times Todd thinks Sam has telepathy for how in-tune he is to most of his thoughts.
But now, the thought is plain as day. Theodoreâs eyes, gleaming with that strange little light that mean heâs plotting, always plotting, linger on that scythe for an uncomfortable stretch of time, and though theyâd both agreed to keep a close eye on the man, they decide to keep an even closer watch on him while in this room.
âThey do match, Granny,â Sam agrees with a little smile, taking one end of the rolled-up rug to help Todd set it down on the floor. âThatâs some theme youâve got going on in here.â
âCharles picked out the florals. I wasnât always so fond of them, you know. He brought so much color and beauty into my life, and now I canât bear to get rid of itâŠâ She toys with the fine, silver band around her left ring finger, eyes looking far, far away, seeing something other than the two men and one demon through her thick lenses.
It isnât often she speaks of Charles, and they all, every one of them, know better than to bring up the subject. Itâs an unspoken rule that only Granny Ethel is allowed to speak of him.
The little floral area rug fits perfectly on the floor, not covering too much, not covering too little. None of the edges hit the bed or the dresser, but they do curl up from being rolled for so long. Todd stamps his hooves on the ends to flatten them downâand it works better than steam roller.
Sam brushes his hands clean of imaginary dust, job well done, and claps. âAlright! Howâs that look, Granny?â
âOh, itâs perfect! Thank you so much for helping, dears. Itâs such a lovely design I might just have to find a matching one for the sitting room. The one we have there now is looking a bit threadbare these days. But I digress. Today is a macramĂ© day! Oh, Iâve never done that kind of craft before. What are we making?â
âI was thinking we could make hanging baskets for the lantanas. Yâknow, before we transplant them back into the garden. I brought rope and beads and all kinds of stuff to make some cool hangers! Plenty of black for you, too, Todd.â
And so, they continue their day by learning macramé, courtesy of Sam and his unexpected talents.
Itâs when night falls, when all are safely tucked away in bed (Sam included, because itâs the weekend, and weekends allow for sleepovers Granny Ethel is more than enthusiastic to host, because sheâd missed having a full house), that Todd realizes Theodore had snuck away at some point during their weaving lessonsâeven just for a bathroom break, letting him out of their sight was a mistake.
Now, certainly, heâs snoozing away at the top of the bunk bed they share, and Sam is tucked away in the far corner of the room with a plushy sleeping bag, but all jolt awake when a thump and a startled cry ring out through the house.
Todd is the first to reach her room. He hesitates at the closed door, just for a split-second, if only to steel himself for what he might see (because that scythe did look stable, where it hung, but what ifâwhat if someone did something to it andâ?) before barreling through it with every ounce of bravery he possesses.
Its sharp tip lay embedded in the soft pillows where Granny Ethelâs head most certainly might have rested, once. Cut right through, as easy as a hot knife sinks through butter.
âGrannyâ!â Sam gasps out.
But Granny Ethelâs head is not thereâand neither is her body. In fact, sheâs standing safe and sound, with both hands pressed against her mouth, just beside the bed. Fully intact. Safe.
âOh,â she pauses, hands falling away from her face, but hovering in front of it, still, before falling to her heart. âI was certain Iâd placed it up on that wall securely.â She blinks, eyes moving from the fallen scythe to the brackets on the wallâone of which had snapped off and lay useless on top of the soft and numerous blankets covering her bedâthen to the three gathered at the door, two mostly concealed behind Toddâs large body.
Todd doesnât waste a moment. His hand finds the back of Theodoreâs neck, grips his shirt collar, and he propels him forward, into the room like a badly behaved animal made to stand before its mistake.
âI didnâtââ he starts to say, squirming like a kitten held by the scruff of its neck, feet barely touching the ground, but Todd wonât hear it. He drops him heavy to the floor and points at the scene, eyes livid, feeling a bubbling, frothing rage that heated him like the fire and brimstone of hellâfor the first time in quite a while.
âI-I really didnât do it!â Theodore hisses, shrinking in on himself as Toddâs hulking form blocks the exit, and Granny Ethelâs small form boxes him on from the other side. âIââ
She clears her throat before anything more could be said.
âDears,â she says in her soft voice, and no matter how soft it is, it always catches their attention as clear as a blaring horn. She leaves it at that, for a moment, as they all three freeze and look to her, obedient, watching as she picks up the scythe by its handle and eases it out of the downy feathers and cotton, holding it between her fingers like itâs made of delicate glass.
âYou never have to worry about me. You see, I am blessed with incredible luck. Please, go on back to bed. Iâll take care of this.â A small, serene smile crosses her faceâas kind as any of the others, but hiding something underneath.
Something like a secret Todd knows he has to uncover before anything like this ever happens again.
