May 30

  Billy is on his way to the airport with his father, and fortunately, his grandparents will e to the graduation ceremony on June 17, 1991. However, they will arrive twenty days earlier to spend some time with young Billy. His grandparents be somewhat challenging to deal with.

  -Remember to tell Grandma that you'll be studying at Stanford. If she asks about ag, just say it's a hobby, and now the focus is on graduating, - Thomas said, reviewing the multiple respohey would give to Billy's grandmother and Thomas's mother, respectively.

  -Yes, I uand. I won't say anything that could cause us any trouble, Dad, - Billy replied, knowing his grandmother's personality. All the en should keep her on the right track. Only the wrath of Richard Carson intimidate her, which happens once every five years.

  From ing the house to the food in the fridge, everything is frandma's arrival. Even Billy is dressed in a suit with a tie. It's a formal uniform suit with a few colors—bck suit, white shirt, maroon tie. In trast, his father is wearing his favorite blue suit. There's this new suit shop that izes suits for 3,000, tail them to your shape. You choose the fabri various options, and the suit's fit is adjusted to your measurements for an additional 1,000.

  -Behave, just behave as best as you . Mom be tough, but once she leaves, we get back to our routine, - Thomas said, signaling for the tenth time that Billy shouldn't cause any trouble.

  -Yes, Dad, I uand the grandma's temperament too, - Billy said.

  -Well, son, -- Thomas said, turnioward the airport. - I think we go to that pizza restaurant we used to visit so often before we got busy with our respective businesses, - he suggested.

  -That sounds great, but I'm starting to eat healthier. I want tute my diet a something more nutritious for myself. It's essential to stay in good physical shape if you want to be an actor, - Billy replied.

  Thomas raised an eyebrow and didn't say anything, but he still parked at the pizza restaurant. -We'll eat healthier ime. We'll pay one of those nutritionists to create a diet pn for yht now, we don't have time to go somewhere else, - he said.

  Billy sighed but got out of the car. heless, that pizza was delicious. When he was seven years old, he loved that pizza. They used to go there almost every weekend when his father didn't have extra work at the office. His favorite pizza had always been pepperoni and chi with mushroom pizza.

  Is this the sensation he's seeking, a mouthwatering pizza experience?

  -We'll bring some to the grandparents, - Thomas said.

  -Do whatever you want, but it's a sure thing that grandma will scold you tonight, - Billy remarked.

  -Hahaha, she'll never be pleased, but if you offer, she won't be able to resist her beloved grandson, - Thomas said, knowing his mother's weakness for her grandchildren over her children.

  -I don't think grandma has a preference. Sometimes she prefers my cousins, - Billy replied.

  -My brother has always followed in our parents' footsteps. He's followed every step, and he's strict with his children, just as they were with him. Very strict. They have followed the family's path since my grandfather's time. They go to chur Sundays and work as hard as they on the farm, from suo suhey cultivate the crops ao the livestock. There are many things I was never willing to do. Even Kevin, your cousin, studied agricultural engineering at his father's request, - Thomas expined.

  -So, you're the rebel of the family, - Billy teased.

  -Let's not talk about that, - Thomas replied.

  As luck would have it, their grandparents arrived just in time. Billy couldn't help but smile at his grandfather's checkered white shirt, a nod to his grandfather's sporty appearance. His grandmother wore a long green and bck dress that reached her ankles.

  -My dear little chick, - Richard Carson said, embrag Billy tightly. The strong cologne of his grandfather was distinctive, and he had been wearing it since '58 wheore had just started selling it. It was one of those things that always stu his mind—the smell of his grandfather. The story behind the purchase was a stroke of luck. He had befriehe store's salesman, who turned out to be the owhey had a long-stiionship until the salesman's untimely death some time ago.

  -Ah, my old man, good to see you, - Billy said, embrag his grandfather. He was the most affeate of the Carsons.

  -You've grown so much, ign yrandfather while I'm doing my best to run your video game pany. We're in the final stages of the game, - Richard said, his cheekiness always refreshing. He noticed his grandmother rolling her eyes at her husband's ck of de.

  Thank you, Grandpa. I'm excited about everything we're doing. I think I'll spend a few weeks with you in Massachusetts, although I have to go to New York for some work. I hope you'll be with me too," Billy said.

  Grandpa's wrinkled smile could only be pared to the occasional gnces Grandma gave. What's curious about their attitudes are the peculiar ways of greetings—polite greetings, separated from their expressive love. With their dry manner, Grandma only resorted to small, solitary moments to express her affe.

  -Grandma, - Billy said, separating from his grandpa and hugging his grandma, who was gently patting his back.

  -Dear, - Grandma said.

  -How have you been? - Grandma asked.

  -I've been very well, Grandma. Everything's fih work and school, - Billy said, adjusting Grandma's suitcase on his shoulder. His father and grandpa were ahead, a dirty but necessary tactic, carefully pnned before arriving at the airport.

  -Uy, - Grandma said, demanding answers from Billy.

  -Stanfrandma. I'll start after the summer, the uy's business course (MBA), along with the supplementary social sces program, - Billy said.

  -It's great to see my little one making progress. And what about those nonsense dreams of being an actor? What are you going to do? - Grandpa asked, with an oddly serious expression. This was a delicate topic because actors were sidered somewhat like jesters.

  -First, I'll pursue a business career and mahe panies. Ag is a hobby, - Billy said.

  -Of course, a pastime. Ahh, how you've grown. Yrandma has been alone for a long time, and you haven't visited her. You've matured in these years I haven't kept an eye on you, - Helen Carson said, rexing her posture. For now, her beloved grandson has e to his senses and dedicated himself to being a godly citizen, w hard.

  -I'll visit this summer, Grandma, even though I'll be leaving. I have a work meeting in New York the sed week of July with someone important in the ic book industry. He'll teach me some tricks. The pany is expanding, and I eical assistance, Grandma, - Billy said.

  -Yrandpa mentio to me, the ninpoop will apany you, there's no doubt about that. If he could roam the entire try, he would. I hope not to cause any invenience, but he's a very stubborn man, - Helen Carson said.

  -Grandpa is always wele by my side, Grandma. I'll try to finish everything ahead of time as best as I to stay a few more days, - Billy said.

  -Thank you, my child. You have to meet your cousins; they're all hardw men. A bit of fieldwork wouldn't hurt you. You're looking sy; I don't think those little arms of yours lift a sack of potatoes, - Helen said.

  Invenieng Billy greatly, the loudspeaker announced, - Flight 3B of New Angels Airlio Michigan would be deyed by one hour. Please proceed to the b gate. -

  -Yes, Grandma, I'll take your advito at. e on, the car will be ready at the entran a moment, - Billy said.

  -California, how annoying. Your father told me there's no churearby, - Helen said.

  -That's true, Grandma, but we have a fifteen-minute prayer session on Sundays. We read the Bible for a bit with care. Then Dad and I head trandma. If we don't have too many chores, we go out for a meal, - Billy said.

  -What wisdom, my dear children. Richard mentiohat your father has been reading the Bible a bit, but I feel fortable. He never liked the Orthodox Catholic Church, but the years are straightening the tree with great care, - Helen said, particurly tent.

  Exiting the airport bathed them in California's sun. Taxis were lined up in an orderly fashion, for better or worse for the taxi drivers. Travelers khe appropriate fares for the jouro Sili Valley and the business sector that wound its way through San Jose. They gave generous tips if the drivers didn't talk mud focused oing them to their destination as quickly as possible. Time is money.

  Mr. Carson's family van appeared around the er, gleaming in the sunlight, a departure from his usual choice of the test sports car model.

  -e on, Grandma, get in the car, - Billy said, opening the back door for his grandmother.

  -Son, you'll have to carry yrandmother's luggage. I won't stop until we get home, - Thomas said from the driver's seat.

  -No problem, - Billy replied.

  -My father told me that John Romerht in some game distribution pa good prices. They're willing to distribute the games. They're still editing the game to adapt it to different soles. You finish the guidebook for the uping Doom game and bring it when you visit yrandfather. Anne will handle printing the images for the CDs. Sega, Nintendo, Neo Geo, and Turbografx-16 will take care of the entire process. They'll give us a 20% cut of the sales, - Thomas expined.

  -It's almost finished. We just o touch up a few minor things. But I think for this game, we'll have to hire two new programmers to formute the game's requirements. This time, I'm quite ambitious iing the game. The standards are a bit higher, - Billy said, adjusting his position. Grandma was looking out the window but listening attentively.

  -That new game you released with the ese, how's it doing? - Richard Carson asked.

  -Japanese, Grandpa. I haven't seeatistics. Dad, do you know anything? - Billy asked.

  -The cutoff is in a month. Sales are announced weekly, but it's not good until everything es together coherently, - Thomas said.

  The arrival of the Carson grandparents in San Jose, along with a bit of pizza and the irritability of Grandma, which bees f once you get used to it, led to a thh ing of all ers of their home. They bought new curtains, some pstits, beautiful pictures, and homemade food by the third day of their arrival, with Grandpa carrying bags behind her and apanyio the markets.

  ...