“Kid!  Hey kid!  Where’s Gran?”  Aunty Laurana’s voice slowly woke me from the slumber I was in, as she was staring to shake Winkle-woman.

“Pisser off and leave an old woman alone!”  Wrinkle-woman stretched and yawned, and glared at Aunty Laurana.

“Don’t make me wash your mouth out with soap, brat!”  Aunty Laurana put her hands on her hips and stared hard back at Wrinkle-woman.  Was she admiring my work?

“Don’t you brat me, you wimpersapper!”  Wrinkle woman shook her fist up and down.  Is this a game?   It looks fun!  I decided to shake my fist up and down along with her.  “Do you have any idea how old I am, missy?”

“About eight, unless I miss my guess,” Aunty Laurana answered, tapping her foot on the porch.  “I’m certain its cute playing dress up in the grown-ups’ clothes, but don’t you think you’re about to fall out of that?”  She pointed over at Wrinkle-woman, while wrinkling her nose.   I wrinkled mine too!

Looking down at herself, Wrinkle-woman stopped rocking and made a real funny face.  I don’t know what game this is, but it seems fun!  I tried to make a really funny face to.

“Whaa…  What the hell happened to me?  I’m a brat!”  Wrinkle woman stared down at herself, and I giggled happily.  I think she liked my surprise!  I fixed it!  I fixed it!  I made all the old go away.

Wrinkle-woman was looking really funny now, and while holding me tightly she eased up out of her rocker.  The moment she stood up, the clothes she was wearing fell down to the ground and bunched up at her ankles.  She was smaller now that she didn’t have the wrinkles, and they didn’t fit at all.  “I…  I’m a child again,” she said quietly, eyes wide.  Tears leaked down the corner of her face, and then she started laughing.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

I’m confused!  Tears are sad.  Laughing is happy.  Here was another Happy-Sad!!  I don’t understand Happy-Sad.  I like Happy-Happy.  I don’t like to see the people I like sad.  But…

What am I supposed to do about a Happy-Sad?

Aunty Laurana was staring at Wrinkle-woman now, with a deeply puzzled look on her face.  I guess she doesn’t know how to handle happy-sad either.

Laughing, and still crying, Wrinkle-woman handed me over to Aunty Laurana who took me and clutched me tightly in her arms.  Wrinkle-woman hopped, and then did a funny move that I’d never seen before.  She tossed her arms out wide to the side, spread her legs the same way, and then rolled across the ground sideways like a wheel!

She jumped, tumbled, squealed, and then streaked around the side of the house in a mad dash.

“Pbbttbb?!”  I asked Aunty Laurana, curiously.  

She didn’t answer, and instead simply clutched me tight to her chest in an almost smothering hug.  I think she’s worried about Wrinkle-woman like I am.   Did she break somewhere else?  Is there something else I need to fix besides the old?

I don’t understand!

Aunty Laurana!  Tell me how to fix it!   “Pbbbttbh  Bpppthhb!!”  I yelled and shook my fist, but Aunty Laurana apparently didn’t have any answers to give either at the moment.

We simply just stood and stared as a naked Wrinkle-woman ran around the house several times, bent over and wiggled her bare butt towards the fence next door, and did some sort of strange wiggle dance in the middle of the street.

I think there might be something really broke with her, but I don’t have a clue what it is!!