Grandpa, My Hero

Last night there was a uninvited four legged guest of the rodent variety here in the computer room. Pixie sniffed it out. I screamed my best B Horror film scream and ran upstairs. Pixies followed. (She never goes upstairs without Mom.) "Grandpa, grandpa, GRAN PAAAAH" (remember he's deaf) "There's a rat down stairs." "Oh ho ho." he chuckled. "Well you better get down there and do something about it." He was in the process of undressing and had so far taken out the hearing aid, and hung up his pants.

When he realized what I meant he headed downstairs, pantless. "Grand pa, you'd better put some pants on." (our house is a fish bowl and all the lights were still on). He waved it off and headed down stairs one stiff hip at a time."have you got a baseball bat or something?" he asked. I imagined him slugging it out with the little rodent, leaving schmear marks on the walls. In a minute I could hear him and Pixie banging away in the den., "Where is it Pix? Where is it?" He found his walking stick and was banging around trying to out the little rat. "Where is it Pix? Come on you bark all the time, and now not a peep out of you."

A few minutes later he returned, and presumable the rat was gone. I was still upstairs. "Grandpa, you're my hero." "Eh, what'd you say?" "You are my HEE- ROH." Vowel sounds bouncing off the stairwell into his massive and vacant ear drums.

"Mosquito?"

By this time I was crying. Petrified. (I know it's just a mouse/rat, but they scare me.) "Are you nervous honey?" Do you want to sleep upstairs? You can have my room." I declined, sniffled and went back downstairs.