Dear Blog,

This afternoon, when we arrived home after school, I was pleased to find Grandad in the kitchen. We all love him, lately with a sort of fierce defiance, like how we loved Rose years ago, when she had been impermanent. After seeing him, we hurried to make him feel welcomed in the Banana House.

Rose brought Grandad to look at the Banana picture she drew and he sat holding it in his hands for a long time before laying it down on the table.

Caddy told Grandad about her driving lessons. She told him that Bill had arrived from London and inspected her exam results (to which he was very surprised to see) and announced that it was time for Caddy to learn how to work. He enrolled Caddy at a college to resit everything she failed and booked her a course of driving lessons. Caddy also told Grandad how good she was at emergency stops and how bad she was at everything else, especially reversing. Surprisingly, Grandad looked as if he was listening.

Indigo asked Grandad to feel his almost visible biceps and Grandad appeared to feel it. Indigo apparently looked pleased and went away to find the picture of the ice axe he was saving up to buy. Rose said she wanted one too. I feel that she wants everything that we want but she is too young.

If you are curious, I did not bring anything to show him, talk to him or explain pictures of ice axes in catalogues like Indigo. I am usually fierce and alone but when I am with Grandad, I always feel gentle.

After a while, Caddy had to kiss Grandad goodbye as she had to leave for her driving lesson. Caddy is very unusual. She left with a hamster in her pocket for comfort, believe it or not!

Eve came out from her shed and tried to send Rose to bed, forgetting Rose’s supper. Indigo luckily saved the day, making fried corned beed sandwiches for everyone. However, Indigo was not careful and cut his finger on the corned beef tin and Rose had to help him bandage it because I would not, Caddy was out and Eve hated the sight of blood.

Afterwards, we all had a quarrel on who would eat the sandwiches that Indigo bled on and I decided not to eat it. I figured it would taste disgusting anyway. Suddenly, Grandad looked tired and when I turned to look at him he was terribly faded, narrow and lost. Once I saw him, I started to cry. I do not know why but I just did. I hugged him and Eve told me to bring him back to his nursing home.

I love my grandfather. I would hate for him to go…

Love, Saffy