My Number One Fan

The next few hours was the four of us talking and catching up on each other’s lives. I held back my tears a lot better than when I first found out he was dying, but it was still difficult to do. I knew the second I got into the privacy of our guest room I would be crying all over Jeff, I also knew he wouldn’t care one way or the other.
“Riley,” Grandpa’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up at him from my stare of the floor. Jeff had gotten a chair was sitting next to me know. Grandma Alex was sitting on Grandpa’s other side.
“There’s a book, over on that table back there.” he continued, pointing behind him. I turned and saw a small round table, a single book laying in the middle. I quickly walked over to it and grabbed the book, walking back toward everyone and handing him the book.
“This is a photo album,” he explained. “There was a few things in here I wanted to show you.” He opened the book and flipped a few pages back. He found a picture and turned the book around to show me.
“That isn’t me is it?” I asked, looking up at him amazed.
“No, it’s your mother, when she was around 4 years old.” He answered. I ran a finger over her face, so much like mine.
“She’s beautiful,” Jeff said, looking at the picture as well. I had to agree to the comment. Grandpa turned the book back around and searched for another picture.
“Here we are, the night you were born.” he said, turning the album back around for us to see. I winced at a particularly graphic photo that showed my head coming out of somewhere I never wanted to see, but the ending pictures were the best. My mom crying and holding me. My grandfather holding me, my grandmother. They had a picture of Uncle Jack holding me as well, but he looked so nervous. Aunt Becky was holding me as well, a long with many other people I didn’t recognize.
“This is your great Uncle Martin,” Grandpa said, pointing to a man who looked to be in his 30s when the picture was taken. He had dark hair, dark eyes, and was extremely skinny. His face looked kind and gentle, and he had a huge smile on his face and his eyes were bright as if he had been crying.
“He’s my brother,” Grandpa continued. He smiled as he looked at the picture himself. “He loved you about as much as he loves his own grandchildren. It broke his heart when he heard about Samantha, and he was a big part in us deciding to let you go live with your father’s family. He said it would have been best. I guess he was right wasn’t he?”
“You know,” I said gently. “You didn’t have to completely cut ties with me.”
“We didn’t have a choice. The social worker who took you down there told us you ran away, and that should couldn’t find you. She was fired fro losing you and not calling the police about it, but she told us it would be pointless to try to get in touch with the family you were being sent to live with, because you probably wouldn’t make it there.”
“I probably wouldn’t of, if it wasn’t for Jeff.” I said. “I didn’t run away, she left me on the side of the road like I was nothing more to her than road kill. I walked as far as I could, and passed out on Jeff’s driveway. He saved me that night, and helped me find the family I was looking for.”
“I know you didn’t run, and I sort of figured that when you told me how long you’ve known him.” Grandpa said with a smile. “Marvin worried for years about you. He tried calling the number the worker gave us, but she gave us a false number, and there was no way for us to locate you. Now, there’s so many things we could of found you in no time at all, but back then, there was really no way, so we kind of gave up on seeing you again. It hurt us to do that, but we knew it was what had to be done.”
“I understand, I really do. I convinced myself all I was ever going to have on you was my own scattered memories.” I admitted. He looked down at his hands, picking at the nail the same way I did when I got nervous. We were silent for a long time, the silence only getting shattered by the ringing of the doorbell. We listened as voice entered the room.
“Oh, come here you two,” Alexandria said to Jeff and me. We looked at her alarmed and followed her to a door on the other side of the room. It led to a private bathroom.
“You holding up okay?” Jeff asked me when Alexandria left. I nodded, letting my head fall on his chest.
“A lot better than when we first got in here,” I said with a sigh. “I didn’t expect him to be so much like the grandfather I remember.”
“I know,” Jeff said. “But at least he’s able to remember you and talk to you like this. You’re not going to remember a shell of him, you’ll remember him for the way he has been most of his life.”
“Yeah,” I said, blinking back more tears. Before we could say anything else, Alexandria walked back into the room.
“Come on out,” she said, grabbing my hand. We followed her back out, to find a much older version of the man in the picture standing in the room. This man was still thin with dark eyes, but his hair was graying and his face had wrinkles forming, but it just made him look kinder and that much more wiser.
“Oh, who is this?” Martin asked, looking at me. He stopped at my eyes and stared into them for a long moment. “Well bless my soul,” he said, snapping his head around to his brother. “Is it?” Grandpa Walter nodded, a smile forming on his lips.
“Martin, your great niece Riley.” Walter said. Marvin ran his hand over my head, turning my face around to look at it better.
“Our little girl’s all grown up,” Martin said, smiling down at me, making his face look a lot younger. “You see all these grays up here?” he asked, pointing to his head. “You did that to me missy, disappearing like that. I’ve been worried sick about you for the past 23 years, and you’ve been off doing lordy knows what.”
“I’m not to far behind you with the hair,” Jeff said, running his hand through his brown and blonde hair. He was letting it grow out again, thankfully.
“Looks like you already are,” he said, pointing to a patch of blonde.
“Wouldn’t surprise me none,” Jeff admitted with a smile. I stuck my elbow into his ribs, which caused him and Martin to laugh.
“I’m Martin, this little hell raiser’s great uncle,” Martin said, holding his hand out to Jeff.
“Jeff,” he replied, shaking his hand.
“He’s the hell raiser’s husband,” I said.
“Oh, so you have to deal with her hell for the rest of your life, yeah you’ll be like me here soon.” Martin said, turning to hug me. When I felt his hand go to my side, I couldn’t help but giggle.
“Ticklish?” he asked, wiggling his hand on my side again. I laughed and tried to escape him, but Jeff caught me and held onto me. I shrieked with laughter and tried to kick at Jeff, but I knew it was no good. By the time the tickle fest was over, I was breathless and pink faced.
“Still got it,” Martin said, sitting in a chair beside Grandpa. I was on the floor, trying to catch my breath while Jeff was on the floor because he couldn’t stand from laughing.
“You know paybacks are hell,” I told him, an evil glint in my eye. He just shrugged.
“So, how long are you two here for?” Martin asked.
“A few days.” Jeff answered. “We wanted to go home and check on things, then we have to leave for, where are we next?”
“Providence I think, oh no wait, we’re going to Canada this week. So we’ll be in Ontario.” I said.
“Canada, is this for your jobs?” Martin asked. We both nodded.
“They’re professional wrestlers Martin,” Walter told his brother.
“Oh, like your father right?” Martin asked. I nodded, confused on how many people over here knew so much about him in as little as a few weeks. “Did he ever make it?”
“His persona is one of the most recognized in the company,” I said. “He has an undefeated streak at a major event that would be like a foot ball team winning every Super Bowl they play in.”
“Really?” Walter asked. “I didn’t know that. If James was telling me correctly, the biggest event for that business is something called Wrestlemania am I correct?”
“Yeah,” Jeff replied.
“How many have you been in?” Martin asked us.
“I’ve been in about 2 or 3 of them.” I answered. “Jeff’s been in more than me.”
“I’ve been in four of them.” he said.
“Only four?” I asked, shocked. “Seems like more than that.”
“Don’t forget I was kicked off one because of suspension, and I was out for what, 4 years after Wrestlemania 18. The thing with Punk only went up to Night of Champions.”
“I’m sorry, it just seemed like you were in a lot more.” I said.
“Matt’s been in quite a few of them.” he said.
“Who’s Matt?” Walter asked suddenly, making me jump. I completely forgot where we were.
“My older brother,” Jeff explained. “He’s in the business as well.”
“That’s interesting,” Alexandria said.
“So, you’ve been in four?” Martin asked. Jeff nodded.
“No, 5.” I said, turning back around to face him. “Did you forget about your match with Matt?” Jeff froze, so I knew he did forget.
“Damn, how did I forget that?” he asked, shaking his head.
“Stress,” I said simply. He nodded, agreeing with me.
“So, you’re leaving in a few days, we have to have a welcome back party for you before you go,” Martin said.
“Oh, no thank you, it’s fine.” I said quickly. I heard Jeff snicker, and stood on his foot for it.
“Good luck getting her near a party,” Jeff said, ignoring my warning. “She hates having them for herself. If we throw her one for her birthday, it has to be a surprise.”
“This past one though I threw it for you,” I pointed out.
“Good point,” he said. “It was when I was told about the first suspension.”
“and I go to Matt’s annual Christmas Bash.” I said.
“Okay fine, she doesn’t exactly hate parties, she hates the attention.” Jeff cleared up.
“Yet, she’s in front of a large crowd every week.” Martin said. “Contradicts herself a lot doesn’t she?”
“Actually not really.” Jeff replied. “She’s really straightforward and honest.”
“And still in the room, so maybe you can stop talking about me like I’m not here,” I said.
“Believe me, we’re more than aware that you are still here.” Grandpa Walter said.
“At least a family dinner than,” Alexandria said. “We can introduce you to family you have yet to met, reunite you with family you haven’t seen in years. We can introduce Jeff to everyone and welcome him to the family.”
“Okay, fine.” I said.
“Wonderful.” Walter said, clapping his hands together. “Now, I might not be able to move on my own, but I’m surely not going to miss out on any more time with my first granddaughter.” Walter said. The door opened, and a nurse walked in, carrying something in her right hand and a glass of water in her left.
“That time already?” Walter asked, pouting. I watched as the nurse handed him a variety of medications. He took them one at a time, draining the glass of water after the last pill.
“Well, I’m all medicated, so I think it best everyone leaves. That purple one is a doozy.” he said. I couldn’t help but laugh as I hugged him. “You don’t go anywhere until you say goodbye to me,” he told me sternly.
“I’m not going anywhere until I have to,” I said, hugging him again. “I love you Grandpa.”
“I love you too kiddo.” he said. “Jeffrey, take care of that girl now. If you don’t, I just might have to try to kick your ass.” Jeff laughed as he promised to watch over me. We left the room with Martin and Alexandria. Grandma Alex leaned against the wall, shock in her face.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
“You have no idea how much you being here brightened him up.” she replied. “He never took his medications like that when the doctor gave us the news.” She walked up to me and embraced me tightly. “You gave him his hope back Riley, no one has been able to do that.”
“I made him that way?” I asked, shocked. She nodded.
“I told you, your aunt told you, it was his dying wish to see you one more time, and when he does and it’s only been a week has passed since seeing you rather than 23 years..” her voice trailed off as tears clogged her throat.
“Is there any chance of him making it through this?” Jeff asked Martin. Martin nodded, sighing.
“One,” he said.
“What is it?” I asked, turning to face him.
“He’s got a type of cancer.” Alexandria said. “It’s not lung cancer, man’s never smoked or has he been around anyone who does smoke. No, it’s not lung cancer. There’s cancer cells in his blood stream that’s not hooking, so it’s passing through his heart. Some of the cells get lodged in there, and it’s causing blood clots.”
“Basically, fresh blood will cure him of this, but no one has his bone marrow here.” Martin said.
“So, a bone marrow transplant will help him?”
“Not exactly a transplant,” Alexandria said. “More of a transfusion. They take some of the donor’s blood cells from their marrow, and fuse it with his until it kills the cancer cells.” I looked up at Jeff, who was looking down at me. Martin and Alexandria left the hallway, leaving Jeff and me alone in the hallway. We decided to go into the guest room.
“I want to get tested,” I said to him.
“I don’t know if they’ll think your blood is clean enough with the meds your on Riley.” Jeff said.
“I don’t give a damn, that’s my grandfather dying in there.” I said, pointing the direction of his room. “You heard what Alexandria said, I gave him back his hope. I want to do something to help him.”
“I know honey,” Jeff said. “When we get back home from Canada, we’ll both go get tested.”
“Thank you,” I said, tackling him down on the bed. I was on top of him, my head on his shoulder. We were like that for a long while, just holding each other and listening to each other breathe.