The Mouse in the Tree and My Grandfather

I had gone to spend the night with Grandma which I did from time to time and my handsome Grandfather was there for one of his short visits also. I don't remember much about that visit such as how long Grandpa was there or why but when it was bedtime I remember it was Grandpa who tucked me into bed for the night.

I was to sleep in the spare room upstairs that night. It was more of an extra closet for storage and sewing supplies but there was a big bed there and a window that over looked the roof of the front porch. For some silly reason when Grandpa left the room I started to cry. It might have been the dressmaker's manikin or the stacks of boxes that scared me; I've never been able to remember that point.

What I do remember is my Grandfather coming back into the room and picking me up in his arms asking me what was wrong. I couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 but I tried to hide my tears and remember saying in a faint voice, "I'm not crying."

As cool as could be Grandpa replied, "Well, I was sure I heard someone crying." I can still hear his thick Kentucky drawl and see him looking around the room before he added, "I think we need ta find out who's cryin, can you help me?"

I lifted my head from Grandpa's shoulder and started looking around too. After a few minutes with a slight sob in my voice I said, "Grandpa I don't see anyone else."

Grandpa held me tighter in his arms and pointed at the window. "Look Faith, in the tree, see that mouse." He repeated it a couple times trying over and over to get me to see the mouse. But I didn't. The tree was huge, taller than the 3 story house with lots of branches and leaves. And, it was dark outside. I was amazed that Grandpa could see a small little mouse in that massive tree.

Finally, not wanting to disappoint my grandfather I said, "I see him." Grandpa responded quickly with, "Isn't he cute, that poor little mouse is all alone out there in that big ole' tree. I think maybe it's him crying. Maybe he's scared and needs a friend to keep him company."

I sat up straight on Grandpa's lap and whispered, "I can do that Grandpa. I can be the mouse's friend."

"Well now Princess I think that would be really nice of ya. Ya could jus lay here in this bed and talk to him all night iffin ya wannaed ta. Maybe he would stop cryin then."

I climbed off Grandpa's lap and lay down on the bed with my head on the pillow facing the window. Grandpa pulled the warm comforter up over me and walked to the door. Before he left the room he smiled and said, "Now you two get some sleep and don't make me come up here again cause yer makin too much noise talkin."

I have no idea how long I laid in that dark room with nothing but the moon light shining between the tree branches. I continued looking out the window, examining every branch I could see still looking for the mouse in the tree. I know I feel asleep sometime - still not finding the mouse.

Several years later we got a phone call from Grandpa. He asked to talk to me and when my father put me on the phone the first thing Grandpa asked me was if I remembered the mouse in the tree. Naturally I did, I would never forget that night. We got many calls from Grandpa over the years and each time that was the routine, Grandpa asking if I remembered.

When I was in high school and we got one of those calls from Grandpa I finally gutted up and asked him, "Grandpa was there really a mouse in the tree that night?" I never actually admitted that I hadn't seen it but he never admitted that it wasn't there either. I don't think there was a mouse but my Grandpa had managed to get my mind off what was bothering me and I slept great the rest of the night. It also gave me a special bond with my grandfather. It was something that no one else in the world shared.

I was blessed to talk to my Grandpa just a few months before he passed away. It was the last time he asked me if I remembered the mouse in the tree but that's ok. I don't need Grandpa's phone calls to remind me of that night or of him, the tall handsome man that called me Princess and was still "jus as good lookin as ever"