Grandpa's Glasses

By Alexandra Terry

Discover a hidden family legacy through a magical pair of spectacles and two mysterious keys. Join Steve's thrilling quest uncovering decades of secrets and unexpected fortunes.

In Grandpa's Glasses, a young boy named Steve embarks on a journey of discovery that takes him across generations. When Steve stumbles ac

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
• Release date: Nov 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9798822969926

Alexandra Terry

Alexandra Terry, the author of Grandpa's Glasses, is a seasoned educator and lifelong learner. She completed her BA in Psychology at Central Washington University, then furthered her studies in Forensic Psychology at Grand Canyon University. Alexandra relocated to the U.S. in 1988 and has been happily married for 36 years, with three children and seven grandchildren. When she isn't weaving captivating stories, Alexandra loves to read, camp, and spend quality time with her family and friends. Her experiences as a schoolteacher, along with her adventurous and intellectual spirit, greatly influence her storytelling, making her books a treasure for young readers.

Book preview

Prologue

"I

found them! I said as I raised a box of lights Mom and I were looking for in the attic. I was so excited we found them because I could then go out and play now with Mark and Cooper. The nightly kickball game had just started and Mom said I could go play as soon as I helped find the box. As I rushed to the old ladder that led to the attic, I knocked over a small box and quickly stopped to put it back. Curiosity got to me and I looked in the small box and saw a few old keys and a pair of glasses. Mom came to help knowing what was inside. Those were Grandpa’s old glasses, she said. Wow, the wire is really thin," I said as I put the glasses on, struggling to place the wire frames over my ears.

It was about 6:30 p.m. and with all the moving around in the attic, it was dusty…like real dusty. The sun was setting and the light beamed in the slatted vent at the roof’s peak. When I put the glasses on, I could see Mom, but it was like the glasses were foggy. So, I took them off and wiped them on my shirt as Mom waited patiently. When I put them back on, it looked the same but different. I could see Mom, but she was behind the fog and everything seemed to appear the same way. It was such an odd look, I was mesmerized. As my mom asked me to take them off and put them back, her voice seemed to fade and whispered in the distance. I couldn’t take them off! I stared intently in the fog and I began to see people moving.

Instinctively, like swatting a gnat that shows up in your face, you know the feeling; I ripped those glasses off my face so quickly and just stared at Mom with my eyes wide open trying to process what I saw AND FELT!

Honey, are you o.k.? Mom asked. She bent and cupped my face and asked what was wrong. I saw other people when I put these glasses on, I said as I handed them to her. Oh, you’re so silly. Give me those glasses!, Mom doubtingly smirked. Before Mom barely had the flimsy wire over her ears, she began teasing me and saying I was being a drama king. There’s nothing wrong with these glasses and put them back, Mom blurted as she handed me the glasses and turned to continue rummaging through years of memories. Even though I felt silly, I did feel better knowing I wasn’t seeing things. I mean, if Mom doesn’t see anything, everything’s fine, right? I stood there holding the glasses and watched Mom open a new box. It was only old clothes of Grandma’s…boring! My attention snapped back to the glasses, and I reached for the old box. I put on the glasses one more time and was acting like Grandpa with the glasses on the end of my nose as I took the keys that were with the glasses out of the box. They were definitely keys but had a funny shape. I straightened the glasses to a normal fit as I put the keys back in the box. Wearing the glasses in a normal position, I saw the fog again. I stood there speechless for who knows how long as the people became clear. MM…MMMMom?!...I am seeing the people again, but it’s really clear now. I heard her drop whatever she had and, in a huff, came to me and asked what I was seeing.

And I said,

I see 3 children playing in front of a house.

I see a big tree with a tree house and a rope coming down.

I see an old truck.

And I see an old woman with her hands on her hips yelling at the kids.

My Mom bent down in front of me and urged me to see more and tell her more. I couldn’t…it was like they kept playing, but the moment wouldn’t move on. Darling, give me the glasses, Mom gently asked. As Mom took the glasses from me, she lovingly said, Steve, you are full of imagination, but what you’re doing is telling a fib. And no one likes a fibber, right? MOM…I’m not fibbing!...I’m serious!

O.K., what did the 3 kids look like? Mom asked. Well, there were three, I said. You already said that. What did they look like? Were they boys or girls? Mom impatiently blurted out. I paused, still feeling as if I saw something I wasn’t supposed to. You know that creepy, cringy feel?

There was 1 boy and 2 girls and they were running in circles around the tree house. They were wearing normal clothes that looked like they had just come home from church or a wedding or something. The old woman was fussing at the kids and standing there as if she was mad. She had a funny apron on and it had big pockets, I said. Wait…STOP! Mom jumped to her feet and went back to the box that she had just opened. Is this the woman you saw? Mom asked as she handed me the picture. The picture was a little old and faded, but the woman looked almost exactly like what I saw in Grandpa’s Glasses. She had the same hair and, I think the same dress, but she was definitely wearing the same apron. But she was laughing in this picture, I thought to myself. Yeah, Mom…that’s her. Who is she? I asked. This is your great-grandma, Pearl, Mom said with her eyebrows slowly raising, and her eyes growing wide.

So I’m sitting there and listening to my Mom and seeing this picture. Wow, cool, right?...I thought! And then, within microseconds…it dawned on me…I saw this in my Grandpa’s Glasses! Mom and I both slowly lowered our heads and stared at Grandpa’s Glasses, which she was then holding in her hand.

Chapter 1

G

randpa was super cool. He and I would do everything together. I was his right hand man, he would tell all of his friends. I was always so proud when he would brag about me to everyone. It made me want to be as good as he said I was. Anyway, it made me feel like somebody. Grandpa died a couple years ago and things just haven’t been the same. Nobody’s been the same. So when Mom and I came across Grandpa’s Glasses…Man! It jolted both of us back to life.

So, like I said,