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stories | 1

SNEAKING UP ON

GRANDMAIt was a hot August day and we were bored out of our minds.

My brother and my cousin were five years old and I was nine.

"Let's sneak up on grandma," I suggested. My younger family

members were game, as usual. Whatever I suggested, no matter

how crazy, they just went along with it. That's the power of being

the oldest. The younger kids mistakenly assume that you know

what you're doing and that you'll bail them out if the shit hits thefan. You don't and you won't, but you figure they don't really

need to know.

Sneaking up on grandma was a game we played a lot because it

was so damn easy. My grandparents lived on the upper floor of

our two-family home in Brooklyn, and during the summer

everyone left their doors open. That made it easy for us to sneak

up and down the outside steps and into their house. Plus we got

to feel like spies. Or burglars. Either of those was better thanbeing snotty little kids.

My grandma was constantly on the move, and was easily

startled. That's what made her our prime target. My grandpa, on

the other hand, enjoyed sitting in his chair with a pipe and the

paper, and he was totally unflappable. Any time we tried to scare

him he would just laugh. Nothing is a worse blow to a young spy's

ego than laughter.

But my grandma, she was the perfect victim. She would take

tiny steps all around the house, dusting the furniture, fussing over

bits of food on the carpet, and rearranging the knickknacks on

the shelves. You could hear her wherever she went. In the

summer she spent hours every day watering her plants on the

front porch. She was less than five feet tall and very fragile-

looking. I wouldn't have been surprised to see her take off like a

bird when we jumped up behind her back and yelled at the top of

our lungs.

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8/11/2019 Bos 1 Sample

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SNEAKING UP ON GRANDMA

It was a hot August day and we were boredout of our ___. My brother and my

cousin were five years old and I was nine. "Let's sneakup ___grandma," Isuggested. My younger family members were game, as ___.WhateverIsuggested, no ___how crazy, they just went alongwith it. That's the [p]___ofbeingthe oldest. The younger kids ___[ly]assumethat you know what you'redoing and that you'll [b]___them out if the shithits the ___. You don't and youwon't, but you figurethey don't really need to know.

Sneaking up on grandma was a game we played a lotbecause it was so damn easy.My grandparents lived on the [u]___floor of our two-family home in Brooklyn,and during the summer everyone lefttheir doors open. That ___it easy for us tosneak up and down the outside steps and into their house. Plus we gotto feel likespies. Or burglars. ___of those was better than being snottylittle kids.

My grandma was ___[ly]on the move, and was ___[ly]startled. ___what madeher our prime target. My grandpa, on the other hand, enjoyed ___in his chairwith a pipe and the paper, and he was totally unflappable. Any time we tried toscare him he would just laugh. Nothing is a worse [b]___to a young spy's ego thanlaughter.

But my grandma, she was the perfect victim. She would ___tiny steps all aroundthe house, dustingthe furniture, [f]___over bits of food on the carpet, andrearrangingthe [k]___on the shelves. You could hear her wherever she went. Inthe summer she spent hours every day wateringher plants on the front porch. She

was less than five feet tall and very [fr]___-looking. I wouldn't have beensurprisedto see her take ___like a bird when we jumped up behind her backand ___atthetop of our lungs.

I ___Jonathan and Josh through the back door and into the guest room of mygrandparent's house. We crawledin on all ___, duckedaround the door and crept___the small hallway. This was the hardest partsince there was nowhere to hide,but ___[ly]we made it through. We then crawled [p]___my grandpa's feet underthe kitchen table and tiptoedout of the open front door. And there she was. Herback was to us, and she was [h]___, rippingdead leaves from her plants.

We snuckup behind her and stood perfectly ___waiting for her to turn around.Once she didwe all yelled, "GRANDMA!" and she jumped back, ___her wateringcan. She then had to sit for a moment to collectherself. The ___woman probablyhad a mini-heart attack every time we did it. Anyway, we laughed until our bellieshurt while she told us off___beingso ___[y]. Then she gave us some cookiesthat we ateon the stoop. Fifteen minutes later we'd do it all ___again. Eventuallymy parents wisedup and sent me to summer camp.

I guess I really ___have known___. A nine-year-old should know that scaring anold lady is not the best way to [p]___a summer day. But I didn't. Or if I did Ididn't care. It ___untilmuch later ___I realized how dumbwe were being and

how much our grandparents ___have loved us if they never toldon us. ___thenGrandma wasn't around___. I wishI could see her one more time and instead ofscaring her just quietly hug her and say, I'm sorry, Grandma. And thanks.