Pieces of the Past
Erin Sullivan
1 Nate slammed the garage door shut with a loud bang—hopefully loud enough for Granddad to hear from inside the house. Nate was angry, angry at his parents for abandoning him at this house during his vacation, angry for having to spend a beautiful sunny day clearing out a dark and damp garage.
2 The dusty garage once housed vehicles, but over time it became cramped with Granddad’s possessions. Tightly packed boxes, bags, and trunks were stacked to the ceiling.
3 “Time for that stuff to go,” Granddad announced that morning. “You go through those boxes and keep what you like, and then we’ll have a garage sale with the rest and divide the profits.”
4 Nate was annoyed because he was stuck at Granddad’s house, and he longed to hang out at the beautiful park and play baseball with the other kids his age. He surveyed the boxes gloomily, considering where to begin. He pried open a filthy plastic container, and inside he found measuring spoons, duct tape, and crumpled file folders. Rubbish, Nate thought to himself, as he tossed it into a garbage bag.
5 The next box contained Granddad’s old suits—neatly folded and packed away after Granddad retired. “Who’s going to want these old clothes?” Nate wondered. They were the kind of old suits you see at a garage sale for fifty cents apiece. As he rifled through Granddad’s old wardrobe, a childhood memory flashed back to him. After work each day, Granddad used to pick up him from school and always kept a surprise for Nate in his suit pockets—a baseball card or a stick of gum.
6 Nate scanned the garage, considering what to tackle next. His eyes fell on a wooden crate tucked way in the back with the name “BENNY” marked in orange paint. The crate was almost hidden behind other boxes.
7 “Who’s Benny?” Nate questioned. Then, he realized Granddad’s name was Benjamin, but no one ever called him Benny!
8 Nate carefully opened the crate, removing a buttery soft catcher’s glove and a collection of cards held together by a rubber band. He flipped through the pack, recognizing some legendary players. Then, Nate pulled out a black and white photograph of a boys’ team and scoured the faded image for a familiar face. There was Benny—Granddad—in the middle row, suited up and staring proudly at the camera. He looked about fourteen, just about Nate’s age. Nate thought about what that boy must have been like as he imagined Benny hovering by second base, eyes glued on the batter, preparing to spring into action.
9 Nate inspected the garage with fresh eyes. Each container held a story, he realized—a series of clues about Granddad’s life. He speculated about each one. Maybe this assignment wouldn’t be so horrible, after all.
This story MOST LIKELY takes place during the
Responses
A spring.spring.
B summer.summer.
C fall.fall.
D winter.