Instead of driving all the way to our town to pick up the boy for the second trip to the Ranch, the grandma suggested that we put him on a Greyhound bus so that he could come on Thursday. This did not sit well with his father or I, because he had brought home the pellet rifle that she bought him on the last trip (did I mention that before?) and it is illegal to transport a firearm of any kind on a Greyhound bus. I found this out, and was seriously uncomfortable with it. My husband and I discussed it and we agreed that we would drive the boy the two hours to the Ranch once we got home from work.

Grandma told us that she had other guests, at this point, after we had told the boy that he could go and visit again. The other guests were her boyfriend’s two wayward teenage grandchildren. I say wayward because they are, even by my Mom’s admission, wild children who know no rules and obey no one. The older one is a girl. She is 17 and dating a twenty four year old man. Her family thinks this is fine. She has told my Mom that she previously sold drugs and tried them, but is not doing so now. She is a senior in high school. The younger one is fifteen, about seven months older than the boy. He is in and out of trouble at school, according to his Dad and according to him. He talks back to adults, does not show much respect, and is not someone that I would allow my son to be around if I were in control of the situation. Naturally, the boy is reaching an age where he has more control over who he is around than I do, so there is only so much a parent can do.

Anyhow, we decided to drive the boy to the Ranch on Thursday. Grandma called at the last minute and told us that she would meet us halfway at the truck stop. This made it much easier on us, but harder on her as she had company that she would have to leave for a while to come and get the boy. We pressed, but she insisted it was fine and so we all went.

At the truck stop, I realized that although the boy had a book for Grandma (as a thank you gift for allowing him to visit), he did not have anything for the man. We had been told (and I was raised this way besides), that you never come to someone’s house empty-handed. The boy found a very pretty wind chime, which I purchased, and we bagged, for him to give to the man as a thank you