Choo Choo
Last weekend I was stopped at a railroad crossing. As the train rolled by, I recalled how much my grandfather loved trains. Coincidentally, there was a track that ran along the back of my grandparent’s property. Granddaddy would share stories about trains and the rail yard as we walked along them.
I also thought of Choo Choo. Choo Choo was a stray cat we found sitting by the fence. Upon sharing our sighting with Grandma, her response was less than charitable (“don’t feed it”). Later that evening when Grandma was upstairs in her sewing room, Granddaddy called me out to the kitchen. Without saying a word, he showed me a bowl full of milk and then started for the back door. Without saying a word, I followed. As we walked back to the house, he looked down at me with his bright blue eyes, smiled and said, “don’t tell your Grandmother”. He was my hero. I wouldn’t rat out Diana Prince for being Wonder Woman or Bruce Wayne as Bat Man - NO WAY I was gonna tell on Granddaddy!
It didn’t take long for Grandma to catch on (we suddenly were drinking lots of milk and Choo Choo was making regular appearances). When I expressed concern for Choo Choo’s well being, Grandma’s response was less than hospitable (“that cat is not coming in this house”). The following weekend Granddaddy pulled out Lassie’s old dog house. It had a new second story and was furnished with straw and blankets. He even added Choo Choo’s name above the opening. I didn’t think I could ever love him anymore than I did at that moment!
It wasn’t long after that we realized Choo Choo was a girl. I was over the moon when Brownie, Cookie, Cupcake, Marshmallow, Popcorn, Pumpkin, Sugar and Taffy came along. Grandma did not share my sentiment and was very adamant that we could not keep them. But as the weeks went by, Pumpkin and I formed a bond. When Pumpkin was one of the last kittens left, Grandma suddenly had a change of heart and said we could keep just one.
I know my grandfather wasn’t always a good husband or father but he was definitely a good Granddaddy.