Who's Afraid of Bears: Our Alaska Family Secret

By Peggy Beistline

Grandma Gwen visited our family for three weeks every year. She would tell us fantastic stories and swear they were the truth. She had a logical explanation for everything she did. Grandma continually got us in trouble with our parents and swore that all she did was for our education. A kid at heart, she led us on amazing adventures. Year after year she exhausted our mother and befuddled our poor father. Who's Afraid of Bears is about the extraordinary adventures of a seventy-eight year old woman who put into the innocent hearts of her grandchildren secrets we were afraid to reveal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publication Consultants
• Release date: Apr 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781594334429

Peggy Beistline

Peggy Beistline, born in Memphis, Tennessee, moved with her family to Alaska as a child. Her father was a U.S. Fish and Game biologist, big game hunter, and fisherman. She grew up in Fairbanks and loved the outdoors, winter and summer. When she shot her first moose she insisted on skinning it herself. She received a Bachelors degree in Education from the University of Alaska and married her high school sweetheart, Ralph Beistline. Her love for children's literature grew while teaching third grade and raising five children in Alaska.

Book preview

Airport

Chapter 1

The Arrival

It was a radiant morning. The sky was as blue as Mom’s eyes and the sun smeared the earth with warm, buttery heat. Frankie and Lizzy struggled with the door of the dusty old station wagon, pushing each other in a frantic effort to get to the front seat first. Frankie was twelve years old and quite muscular for a skinny little guy. He quickly pushed ten-year-old Lizzy to the ground, jumped in the front seat, locked the door, and started making faces. Lizzy kicked the door screaming, It’s my turn to sit in the front, you big ugly baboon! She tucked the loose ends of her curly blond hair behind her ears and slapped the window.

Dad came to the rescue. You will both sit in the back seat with Casey and Evan. We need you two to cooperate while Grandma Gwen is here. It’s hard enough putting up with her without having you two fighting.

Casey was eight. She thought it was quite entertaining watching Frankie and Lizzy fight. She had dark straight hair that Mom had cut short in a bowl shape around her head. It was very thin and stuck straight up in front where she had a cowlick. She looked nothing like her sister Lizzy. Her two front teeth had grown in very large and she was the only one in the family with green eyes.

Little Evan was the baby, even though he was five years old. Mom was overly protective of her youngest, and he always seemed to get his way.

Casey liked to play with Evan when they played house or went on adventures in the woods near their home. But, Evan was impossible when he wanted something that you absolutely didn’t want him to have. Frankie, Lizzy, and Casey knew to hide their good stuff from Evan, or Mom would make you share it with him.

The Graham family was going to the airport to pick up Mr. Graham’s mother. She was coming for her annual three-week vacation. Mom had set up the fold-out bed in the sewing room and bought a nice little lamp and a new comforter just for the visit. Grandma Gwen would have her own room this time. Last year she slept in the girls’ room and caused quite a ruckus. She slept at odd times and when she did sleep she snored ferociously, causing the girls to lose sleep and disrupting their schedules. Lizzy and Casey had put a feather under Grandma’s nose just to see if the feather would go in and out when she snored. She ended up in the emergency room with a feather up her nose that had to be removed by the doctor. Grandma didn’t speak to the girls for three days.

The ride to the airport was uneventful although everyone commented on how nice it would be if the old station wagon had air conditioning. The Fairbanks International Airport was small but modern and the parking lot was fairly close to the terminal. Dad gave Mom a little hug and reassured her that three weeks would go by quickly. Mom was not as excited as the children were to see Grandma Gwen. Frankie, Lizzy, Casey, and Evan ran across the crosswalk and did a couple of circles around the automatic doors at the entrance to the terminal.

Hurry, Evan shouted to Mom and Dad. I think Grandma’s plane has landed.

They all hurried to Gate C. People were beginning to arrive as the four children wandered in and out of lines of travelers, searching for their grandmother.

It seemed like everyone had gotten off the plane and there was no sign of her. Dad was about to go to the ticket counter when a side door flew open and a tall gentleman came through pushing a wheelchair. The lady in the wheelchair took off her hat, put two fingers to her lips and gave a loud whistle. Everyone in the terminal instantly turned in her direction.

Hello, my babies! Grandma Gwen squealed with waving arms. Frankie, Lizzy, Casey, and Evan ran to greet the old woman as Mom rolled her eyes and Dad sighed.

Dad thanked the gentleman who had helped his mother and started pushing her towards the exit. Mother, why are you in a wheelchair? You never said you couldn’t walk. Why didn’t you tell us?

Oh for heavn’s sake. Grandma exclaimed in her deep southern accent. I don’t need no wheelchair. I just fooled those ole bats cause they wouldn’t let me fly first class.

What? Dad looked stunned.

Oh you know how them folks git. They said I had to pay more to go first class. I think at my age, I should git more respect. Don’t you? So, I told ‘em my arthritis was flaring up bad, and I needed a wheelchair. Then they started treat’n me better. Grandma jumped out of the wheelchair, grabbed her hat and purse, and headed for the door. You otta git one of those contraptions Johnny. They’s kinda fun.

Dad chuckled a little as Mom herded the children towards the door. Let’s get out of here, John, before she does something else, she whispered. Dad grabbed Grandma’s only suitcase, a small green and white striped carry-on bag with pink curly ribbons tied to the handle.

Grandma chatted with the children all the way home. Evan told her about his kindergarten graduation and Casey and Lizzy interrupted each other explaining how nice her room would be. When they arrived at the house, Mom escorted Grandma to the warm and inviting space that had been so carefully arranged to suit even the most finicky guest.

Well, look at this cozy little room ya got for me. Ain’t it sweet. Grandma clutched her hands over her round belly as her eyes danced around the room. She walked up to the sewing machine and tapped it with her finger. Ya gonna make me do some mending, Martha? Cause, I don’t mend, ya know. Grandma said, looking at Mom.

No, Mother, we just thought you might be more comfortable if you had your own room. See, I even bought you a new comforter. Mom tried to sound convincing, knowing very well that it was hopeless.

Well, that’s real nice of ya, but I really prefer to sleep on the couch. You know us ole couch potatoes. We love the couch. Grandma grabbed the comforter off the bed and headed for the living room. Now ain’t that somethin’, this ole comforter just matches your furniture. Grandma dropped the comforter on the couch, took off her heavy black shoes, sat down, and put her feet up on a couch pillow. You sure is hospitable, Martha. Thankya for having such a nice comfy couch.

Tears came to Mom’s eyes as she whimpered, You’re welcome. Mom headed to the kitchen to prepare lunch as Frankie, Lizzy, Casey, and Evan gathered around their Grandma Gwen. Everything about Grandma was fascinating. She was barrel shaped with bushy eyebrows and bowed legs. Her hair was salt and pepper gray and she had whiskers on her chin. Thick round glasses made her blue eyes look enormous and she had the oddest shaped toes. They looked like someone had put them in a vise and squished them together. She had one large mole on her cheek and convinced her grandchildren that it grew there because she ate too much broccoli. The children had some misgivings about their grandmother’s behavior, but loved the unexpected way she made ordinary things exciting. She always said, Don’t trust no child, and don’t never tell no lies.

Grandma Gwen was born in Whiteville, Tennessee in 1899 and had only a fifth-grade education. When she was 19 she married Grandpa and they moved to Memphis. Grandpa Graham had died when Dad and his older brother, Pete, were just kids. The two boys took care of themselves while their mom worked in a laundry. She could barely put food on the table. Dad worked very hard from the time he was a boy, and earned a scholarship to the University of Georgia. He was very different from his mother, but he wanted his children to know their heritage, as odd as it might be.

John didn’t know who paid for her house trailer in Sacramento. Her two previous husbands had passed away, and he figured she must have inherited some insurance money from them. He would jokingly blurt out that his mother either drove the two men to their grave or robbed a bank.

She had a driver’s license but Dad said he was not sure how she got it, or if it was real. It was issued by the State of California, had her picture on it, and looked as authentic as any license, but her birth date was incorrect. It said Grandma was ten years younger than she really was. Grandma said it was because the lady at the Department of Motor Vehicles didn’t know how to type.

Do you little rascals want me to tell ya a story tonight? Grandma whispered. Evan jumped up and down and clapped his hands, Yes, yes, yes.

Only if it’s a true story, Frankie added. He was a little suspicious of Grandma’s tales.

Why ya’all know I only tell true stories. Grandma’s face got grim as she removed her glasses and glared at Frankie.

I know that Grandma, Frankie said quickly, knowing that you should never make Grandma mad. She could be your worst enemy if you got on her bad side. Frankie was disappointed in himself for questioning his grandmother’s credibility. There was never a doubt that she believed every word she said, and her stories were the kind you could dream about and never tire of hearing over and over.

Her facial expressions changed as quickly as the subject. Tomorrow’s my birthday and I wanna have a really nice party. What you chil’lin think ‘bout that? Grandma’s grin came back and her eyebrows went up.

Oh Grandma, a party sounds great, Lizzy said. But we don’t have a present.

Just make me somethin’, honeychild, I just love homemade things. Why don’t you girls go and make me a big ole chocolate cake? Go on git. Ya hear? The girls ran off to the kitchen. "Frankie, you and Evan go find something