Happy Halloween, Zacky
Part Three
Upon opening the mansion door, Zacky noticed the delicious scent of apple cinnamon. In fact, as he glanced around the kitchen, it actually looked quite welcoming. It looked like a stereotypical grandma’s kitchen.
Just then, a familiar old lady stepped into the kitchen. She had her grey hair up in a bun and was wearing a red-and-white checkered apron over her light blue dress.
"Grandma Baker!" Zacky exclaimed, as tears came to his eyes. "Is that really you? I’ve missed you, so much."
"Yes, honey, it’s me," the old lady replied, as she drew Zacky into a great big hug. "Ah, how is my lovely dumpling doing?"
"I can hardly believe that it’s you," Zacky breathed, as he blinked back tears. "I’ve always loved baking cookies with you."
"I’m baking double chocolate chip cookies," Grandma Baker commented, cheerfully. "Your favourite. I suppose you’d also love a cup of hot cocoa, with lots of marshmallows in it. That right?"
"Well, Grandma, you definitely remember me," Zacky replied, with a chuckle. "It’s so nice to see you, again."
"Same here," Grandma Baker replied, as she went to pour her grandson a cup of hot cocoa.
"Zacky! Zacky!" called out a familiar little girl’s voice, as she skipped into the kitchen. It was none other than Anna Rose, Zacky’s childhood friend. As Anna Rose took a close look at Zacky, she commented, "Wow! You’re all grown up! I really like your piercings. They look lovely."
"Aw, thank you," Zacky replied, warmly - as he hugged Anna Rose close. He then lifted her up, and began to swing her around.
"We used to play ball together, a lot," Anna Rose commented, as Zacky set her down. "And we used to play by the creek, a lot. I wish I listened to Mom, though, when she told me to put my coat on before playing in the snow."
Tears filled Zacky’s eyes, as he remembered how his friend got sick - and then, eventually, died.
"Don’t cry, Zacky," Anna Rose commented, as she stroked Zacky’s left arm with her index finger. "I’m happy living here. Grandma Baker is a very good cook."
"Aw, thank you!" Grandma Baker replied, as she was carrying a platter with several cups of hot cocoa on it. "I do try my best."
"Of course, Mom and Dad are also great cooks," Zacky commented, as he grabbed a cup of hot cocoa. "But there was just something about your cooking, though, that was… special."
As Zacky took a sip, he was taken aback by the heavenly taste of rich chocolate.
"Probably because I’m a grandma," Grandma Baker commented, laughing. "I felt that way about my grandma’s cooking, too.”
"No, you really are a good cook,” Anna Rose commented, smiling. “My own grandma couldn’t cook for shit.”
Zacky burst out laughing by his young friend’s sudden use of profanity.
"You wanna go to the creek with me and Harmony, later on," Anna Rose asked.
"Uh, sure, yeah," Zacky commented, nervously. "Y’know, I never did stop thinking about you. I remember how, ordinarily, you were afraid of boys. But, with me, it was different."
"You were always so cool," Anna Rose remarked, smiling.
"The cookies are done!" Grandma Baker announced, as she took the cookies out of the oven. "Enjoy"
Zacky smiled, as he grabbed a cookie from Grandma Baker. He bit into it, and was instantly reminded of how his grandmother’s cookies tasted.
Just then, another young man walked into the room. To Zacky’s surprise, the man looked almost exactly like him. He was the same height, had the same green eyes, had the same face (minus the piercings), and the same dark hair.
"Who… who are you?" Zacky breathed, stunned.
"My name is Zachary Charles Giannini," the young man replied, softly.
Zacky grabbed onto the counter, to keep from fainting. Even the young man’s voice sounded a lot like his own, albeit with an Italian accent. The name sounded familiar, too.
Just then, a familiar old lady stepped into the kitchen. She had her grey hair up in a bun and was wearing a red-and-white checkered apron over her light blue dress.
"Grandma Baker!" Zacky exclaimed, as tears came to his eyes. "Is that really you? I’ve missed you, so much."
"Yes, honey, it’s me," the old lady replied, as she drew Zacky into a great big hug. "Ah, how is my lovely dumpling doing?"
"I can hardly believe that it’s you," Zacky breathed, as he blinked back tears. "I’ve always loved baking cookies with you."
"I’m baking double chocolate chip cookies," Grandma Baker commented, cheerfully. "Your favourite. I suppose you’d also love a cup of hot cocoa, with lots of marshmallows in it. That right?"
"Well, Grandma, you definitely remember me," Zacky replied, with a chuckle. "It’s so nice to see you, again."
"Same here," Grandma Baker replied, as she went to pour her grandson a cup of hot cocoa.
"Zacky! Zacky!" called out a familiar little girl’s voice, as she skipped into the kitchen. It was none other than Anna Rose, Zacky’s childhood friend. As Anna Rose took a close look at Zacky, she commented, "Wow! You’re all grown up! I really like your piercings. They look lovely."
"Aw, thank you," Zacky replied, warmly - as he hugged Anna Rose close. He then lifted her up, and began to swing her around.
"We used to play ball together, a lot," Anna Rose commented, as Zacky set her down. "And we used to play by the creek, a lot. I wish I listened to Mom, though, when she told me to put my coat on before playing in the snow."
Tears filled Zacky’s eyes, as he remembered how his friend got sick - and then, eventually, died.
"Don’t cry, Zacky," Anna Rose commented, as she stroked Zacky’s left arm with her index finger. "I’m happy living here. Grandma Baker is a very good cook."
"Aw, thank you!" Grandma Baker replied, as she was carrying a platter with several cups of hot cocoa on it. "I do try my best."
"Of course, Mom and Dad are also great cooks," Zacky commented, as he grabbed a cup of hot cocoa. "But there was just something about your cooking, though, that was… special."
As Zacky took a sip, he was taken aback by the heavenly taste of rich chocolate.
"Probably because I’m a grandma," Grandma Baker commented, laughing. "I felt that way about my grandma’s cooking, too.”
"No, you really are a good cook,” Anna Rose commented, smiling. “My own grandma couldn’t cook for shit.”
Zacky burst out laughing by his young friend’s sudden use of profanity.
"You wanna go to the creek with me and Harmony, later on," Anna Rose asked.
"Uh, sure, yeah," Zacky commented, nervously. "Y’know, I never did stop thinking about you. I remember how, ordinarily, you were afraid of boys. But, with me, it was different."
"You were always so cool," Anna Rose remarked, smiling.
"The cookies are done!" Grandma Baker announced, as she took the cookies out of the oven. "Enjoy"
Zacky smiled, as he grabbed a cookie from Grandma Baker. He bit into it, and was instantly reminded of how his grandmother’s cookies tasted.
Just then, another young man walked into the room. To Zacky’s surprise, the man looked almost exactly like him. He was the same height, had the same green eyes, had the same face (minus the piercings), and the same dark hair.
"Who… who are you?" Zacky breathed, stunned.
"My name is Zachary Charles Giannini," the young man replied, softly.
Zacky grabbed onto the counter, to keep from fainting. Even the young man’s voice sounded a lot like his own, albeit with an Italian accent. The name sounded familiar, too.
10/29/13