GRANDPA'S HILL

(Just a word - The term "Spilovink" was the Swedish term my grandfather used for me. It means "little mischief maker.")

GRANDPA'S HILL

         “Grandpa, whatcha gonna do with the ashes?” Lila asked as they stood in the backyard watching the leaves burn.

         “Well Spilovink, just before the snow flies, I’ll spread them over the gardens.”

         “Why?” Lila had grown into the typical questioning six year old.

         “They make my plants grow better.”

         “Please, don’t forget. If you don’t move them, I can’t go sledding.”

         “Lila! Grandpa! Cocoa’s getting cold,” Grandma called from the kitchen window. Lila raced up the hill with Grandpa close at her heals. As they sipped the cocoa, Silvie arrived.

         “Mama! We burned all the leaves, and Grandpa’s going to put the ashes on the gardens.”

         Fall grew quickly into winter. The first snow storm, coming before Halloween, dumped six inches of the white stuff. Grandpa planned to finish the yard work when Indian summer came, but the snow, wind, and cold persisted.

         The day after Thanksgiving, Lila appeared at Grandpa’s door. She wore her new pink snowsuit, mittens, and boots.

         “You look ready to go sledding.”

         “Yup! Where is my saucer? Did you take it down? Did you move the ashes?”

         “Slow down, Spilovink. I pulled your saucer out of the attic and set it inside the garage, but I didn’t get the ashes moved.”

         “Grandpa,” Lila whined. “You promised. Now I can’t go sledding.”

         “Sure you can. You just need to follow the tracks into the other half of the yard.”

         Skeptical, Lila took the saucer and positioned it at the top of the hill. Seeing she could easily follow the path, Grandpa snuck inside. An hour later, Lila entered the kitchen. “I’m not sledding down your hill anymore,” Lila declared.

         After Grandpa composed his laughter, he looked out the window toward the ash pile. Sure enough, Lila had taken a trip straight through the ash pile.