Grandpa Jones

I was 17 when I found out I had a grandpa Jones. Seems my dad's mom and dad got divorced sometime in the 30's, I think. Dad lived with his mom and sisters. I was at my cousin Sally's house and they were talking about Grandpa Jones and I asked who he was and they said, You know. And I thought, no I don't! I asked mom and she said don't mention it to your father. I found out from the girls where he lived and decided to go meet him. My little sister Kristi wanted to go along and I don't know where my brother Lance was or why he didn't come, but off we went. He lived out in the country behind the local dam and had a fish farm or stocked pond that people could pay a small fee and fish to their hearts content. He also had a pet deer named Buddy. I remember feeding Buddy a joint and then he followed me around all the time and was very pushy. He also ate cigarettes but spit out the filters.So Grandpa had a little cottage with a screened front porch and he was sitting there with Uncle Charlie and Aunt Edith. Charlie might have been Grandpa's brother but Edith was no relation to us. They each had their own little bungalow in the woods and it made for a nice little compound. He invited us in and I told him I was Walt's oldest son and then he offered Kristi (10 at the time) and I a beer and I think we both took one. Cool. As we were leaving he stopped me and said if my dad ever wanted to come out and visit he was very welcome to do so. I said I'd tell him and home we went. We told mom about our adventure and her first reaction was Oh God, Don't tell your father! Some time later I found out dad and grandpa saw each other down at the mill everyday at shift change and neither one ever acknowledged the other for what, the last 30 years?! Anyway, being my father's stubborn child I told him. He took it the way he took everything. Stoically. But the next weekend he took a bottle of whiskey and went out to see his dad and continued to do that every other weekend until his father's death. Dad was executor of his estate. Don't know if he always was or if grandpa changed it after their reunion.posted by Hannen @ 7:12 AM 3 comments Wednesday, March 23, 2005