Episode 1. Grampa Ralph

Grampa Ralph makes regular visits to see Robert and his mother. Gramps is a little precocious but full of personality.

As a little boy, Robert was always happy to see his Grampa Ralph. Ralph was Robert's last living grandparent, and Ralph would regularly make the tour visiting all seven of his kids' families. Since grandpa had finally retired from Land O Lakes,  and was now over 70, he had time during the weekdays to visit family.   

At this time of 1970, Ralph had been a widower for over 25 years.  His dear wife Lucy had died of ovarian cancer in 1943. Ralph never remarried. He would respond by explaining simply, "I married a beautiful, wonderful friend.  Why settle?"

Over the ensuing years Ralph developed a fondness for brandy.   Robert was too young to notice,  but in later years he was told by family that Ralph was a 'happy drunk', not a mean one as many others are.  He always treated his grandkids well and would present them with presents.  Sometimes Ralph would make the adults a little uncomfortable with his antics but his grandkids adored him.

Robert knew that when grampa came for a visit, 1) dad would be at work, and 2) mom would serve coffee and cookies. Grampa Ralph and dad didn't get along. There always seemed to be an unexplained tension and a lack of eye contact between them. 

When grampa came to visit he would ask Robert about his bike riding prowess, and whether Robert had any girlfriends.  Robert would spend most of these times smiling, trying to keep up with grampas jokes, and eating chocolate chip cookies.  

Robert was fond of grampa Ralph because he would often always say things that made mom just a little nervous. Then Ralph would laugh from his belly and he would give Robert a side hug.

Robert also liked that Grampa Ralph would occasionally 'kidnap' him and take him on a guys only trip to Mcdonalds. There they would order lots of french fries and see how many ketchup packets they could go through.   

Maybe the best feature of these visits with gramps was the fact that Roberts' three older sisters, and older brother would generally be at school when grampa visited. Robert's younger brother Chris was too young to get much out of the trips to McDonald's.

One time when gramps visited he mentioned with a glint in his eye that he was going on vacation the next week.  "Where to grampa?"   

"I'm going west young man!" Gramps said rather dramatically.  "I wish you could come along."

Robert learned that Grampa was going to Montana to spend time with his other daughter MaryAnn.  MaryAnn, and her husband John, had a working ranch with a guest house where gramps would be staying for the summer.

It was quite a while later that Robert was finally told that grampa had died of a heart attack while staying with Mary Ann in Montana.

The rest of the family didn’t seem to know how to tell Robert, and Robert didn't know how to take this news so he wouldn’t  talk about it.  Years later Robert asked his mother, "Why didn't you ever tell me Gramps was sick, or that he had heart problems?   You had just told me he went on vacation!"    

His mother answered with, "Honey he wasn't sick that we knew about. Grampa died suddenly while staying out there. He died on vacation. It was a shock to all of us."

"I wish he hadn't ever gone on vacation!"  

Reviews

[Fictional Fabricator]

This is a special touching story. I never really knew my grandparents either so no love lost 🙄
But I loved reading about their special trips just them two. Wished you'd given a couple more examples of the jokes gramps would make. But I like this beginning.

[Ballpark Frank]

Thank you so much! I'm thrilled you read and liked it. 😊

[Anne Martin]

I barely knew my grandparents, two were gone before I was born, and my maternal grandmother never left her bedroom, dying when I was 7. Her husband was the only one of that generation that I came to know at all, and what I knew turned out to be mostly visual. He had been a university professor, a Dean, in fact. He had many years of cooking for his wife, and was a good cook. Unlike Robert's Grampa, he rarely traveled. As carer for his wife, he couldn't.

With that being said, the visual clues can be very important, yet you never say anything about what he looks like, nor Robert, for that matter, but you will have time to flesh that out later in your story. Without visual cues, the story might seem emotionless, except for the outburst at the end. If this is Grampa's only significant appearance in the story, then you should probably expand it. Tell more about his visits and why they were so important to Robert, if not to tell us more about Grampa, then to give us more of a clue about Robert's character. Why does he cherish Grampa? You only really tell us about his going on vacation and dying, and that he liked his brandy and was a happy drunk.

The bones of a good story are there, but you need to dig deeper into the characters and bring them to life.

[Ballpark Frank]

Thank you from my heart. This is a very helpful review. It's a bit emotional for me though, but I agree. I should add more no doubt. I'm going on memory in my writing and not on creating so I realize I need to have my writers cap on, not my little boys hat. Thank you!

[emmajoygreen]

This is such a great chapter whether read by someone who will understand and enjoy similar relationships and others who will perhaps feel sad but gain an insight into what you can learn from older people even if not relations. Might encourage official and recognised volunteer work with older people. You have sited the start of your story so carefully, adding so many of the lures found: chat, fun, discoveries - aged people are walking history too, which is super fantastic! You've begun gently but visually and emotionally!

[Ballpark Frank]

Thank you from my heart Emma. You are a thoughtful, insightful reader and you'll review helps greatly. I appreciate you.

[Ufi Auttorri ~ Amy C. T..]

Dear Frankie,

I just finished reading this beautiful chapter about your relationship with your grandfather, Gramps. It's a heartwarming tribute that masterfully conveys the warmth, humor, and playfulness of your bond. Your writing is conversational and accessible, making it easy for readers to become invested in the characters and their stories.

I loved how you balanced lighthearted moments with poignant undertones, creating an engaging read that sheds light on Gramps' personality, interests, and quirks. The nostalgic quality of the 1970 setting added to the chapter's charm.

What struck me most was your thoughtful exploration of Robert's emotional journey as he navigates his relationships with family members, particularly Gramps' complicated relationship with his father. Your subtle hints at tension and conflict were skillfully woven into the narrative, adding depth to the story.

Overall, this chapter is a delightful portrayal of a treasured family bond, leaving readers with a sense of warmth, comfort, and appreciation for the complexities of human relationships. Thank you for sharing your beautiful memories with us. I'm so grateful to have had the chance to read about your relationship with Gramps.

Best regards, Amy (for Ufi)

[Ballpark Frank]

Thank you Amy from the bottom of my heart. This episode and the book as well, are fiction but some parts are definitely my past.

I'm honored you took the time.

[Tina]

What a sweet story. I miss my grandparents. I enjoyed reading this.

[Ballpark Frank]

Thank you Tina. What a wonderful comment! Have a great day.

[Ioana Mihai]

This is beautifully written, it recalls old and recent memories of losing the people I loved the most and loved me the most ever… still aching every time 😢

[Ballpark Frank]

What a wonderful comment. Thank you.

[Ioana Mihai]

Thank you for this story. I will keep reading further

[John the Baptist]

This seems to be the opening chapter of a novel and the introduction of the main characters. Grandpa Ralph is colorful but exits the story early. I think Robert will be the main character and the following chapters will unfold from his perspective.

[Ballpark Frank]

Thank you. And yes, what you mention is true. Robert grows up in the following episodes.

[Shelley Warner]

This was a special bond between Robert and Grandpa Ralph. Is it based on someone in your life? The story reminds me of the movie, Little Miss Sunshine and a bond between a grandpa and his granddaughter. He is a lot like Ralph and he encourages his granddaughter, who is a little awkward, to enter a dance competition. This results in a family adventure to travel to the competition and is bittersweet.

I will read more of your episodes.

[Ballpark Frank]

Hi Shelley! Pleased to meet you. Thank you for reading and giving me your nice thoughts. Take care.

[AYVID N]

This the first episode is written very clearly, concisely and I really appreciate how artfully you lay emphasis on the bond Robert shared with Ralph. I like the simple, yet compelling storytelling here. A fine character sketch of Grampa done. The end of the story is sad yet interesting owing to the fact of the closeness the young boy shared with his granfather. I am left wondering of the impact this will have on the boy short and long term. A very interesting starting episode.

[Ballpark Frank]

Thank you so much my new friend. I'm so glad you like this. I am encouraged more now to write more of this story.

[AYVID N]

You are most welcome dear Frankie. I'll be back soon for more.

[Ballpark Frank]

I realize this episode is brief. The following episodes are quite a bit longer and full of more detail.