Falling in Love Betternbacon

Johnny loved his grandparents. Anyone and everyone can say they love their grandparents, but Johnny had no problem telling them and showing them how he loves them.

During the school year he would hand write them a letter every two weeks. There were many times he wished they knew how to email or text, but when he really thought about it, he enjoyed the way hand writing a letter made his life slow down. He would tell them about school, his friends and how he was excited about coming and seeing them.

Every year, since he was 10 years old he would go and stay with Gramps and Granny on their farm for two weeks. When school let out for the summer, he was ready to escape to the farm. He would have his bags packed almost a month in advance.

He did not realize it then, but now at the age of 18, he understood how much he looked forward to and needed this annual holiday. It was a way for him to shut himself off from the technological dream world that he felt he was living in, and turn his mind on to the hand crafted reality and beauty of nature.

As he turned onto the gravel road that led to their long drive, he felt his stomach jump with excitement. It amazed him how his stomach jumped at the exact same location, the exact same way for 8 years. Even when he started driving to the farm on his own 2 years ago, his stomach jumped every time.

"Hon! Johnny's here!"

Gramps said as he removed his ball cap. He tilted his head down as Johnny walked up on the porch and kissed him on his forehead.

Granny came out of the house, letting the screen door bang back into the door frame causing it to bounce and follow up the bang with a little tap. She threw her arms around him and after kissing his right cheek multiple times she pulled him in and hugged him tightly.

"Go put your stuff in your room then get back down here and visit with us!" She said as she locked her arm in his and walked him into the house.

He went up the stairs and put his suitcase in his room and began walking down the stairs. He smiled as he skipped the third step from the top as he descended just like he did when he ascended the stairs. He learned years ago that the third step from the top creaks.

"Where are ya goin' boy?" He would hear when he was younger and trying to go outside at night time.

"I want to look at the stars." Was the reply every time.

"Don't stay out too long. Skeeters will eat ya alive."

"Yes sir!"

By the time he was twelve he was able to stretch his leg enough to skip that third step from the top. Funny thing was, he would only skip it during the day time. At night when he would go down the stairs, so he could look at the stars, he would make sure he would step on the third step from the top just so they could keep the tradition alive of being asked where he was going.

Gently closing the screen door behind him, he went over to the edge of the porch and picked out a stick about 8 inches long. He sat down in the chair next to gramps and pulled out his pocket knife that gramps gave to him on his 12th birthday. He opened it up and scraped his thumb across the blade.

The routine began, he handed the knife to gramps and received the typical response, "A butter knife is sharper than this thing!"

He knew his knife was sharp. He took better care of that knife than most car enthusiasts take care of their award winning cars. But, there was just something soothing about how gramps would pull out his whetstone, spit on it, swirl the blade and begin his methodical swiping on the edge.

After a few minutes he would hold the knife up and turn the blade over, give it an approving nod then run the blade on his arm, removing a perfect two inch by two inch area of hair. Johnny had always wondered how hair even grew back in that spot. Gramps would get the knife so sharp that his arm would be smooth, with no hair growing in the spot for the entire two weeks he visited.

The next part of the routine continued on as soon as he handed the knife back to Johnny.

"What will we whittle you wascally wabbit?" He would say as he looked at his gramps.

"Whatever we wish you wotten wodent." Gramps would reply.

They would both laugh and then granny would make her entrance with the iced tea. Johnny usually drank his iced tea without any sugar or sweetener. He enjoyed the slight bitter taste of the tea, just like how people enjoy their coffee black. But, while visiting his grandparents, he drank his tea the way it was served. Sweet, but not too sweet with a bit of honey and lemon.

"Well bud, I think we will work on whittling a chain."

Johnny had watched gramps whittle a chain once before and had always wanted to try himself. He followed gramps' lead and began to carve at his wood. The wood chips piled up and the tea glasses were being refilled when Johnny stopped whittling and looked at his gramps.

"Gramps, when did you realize that you were falling in love with granny?"

Gramps, looked up at granny and smiled. She smiled back as she topped off his glass of tea. She had heard this story a few times, and hurried back to her rocking chair so she could hear it again.

"I never fell in love with her." Gramps said as he returned his focus back on his whittling.

Johnny thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. "Wha...huh? Never fell in love?!?! But..."

Granny began to giggle and patted his knee. "He loves it when people react that way."

"When a person falls into something, it is an accident. Many times they didn't see it coming. They were unaware, they fell and many times got hurt.

I always told my buddies that I would not fall in love. I would look for love. They asked me how will I know when I find someone to love."

He turned to Johnny with a slight smile in the corner of his eye and said, "I told them, The gal I will be in love with will be betternbacon!"

"Betternbacon!" Johnny exclaimed. "What does that mean?"

Gramps picked up his tea glass, held it up to the mid day light. Swirled it around a few times. Took a tiny sip. Held it back up to the light.

"Honey please! You are tormenting the kid!" Granny said still giggling.

Gramps placed the glass back down and began whittling again.

He continued. "I told my buddies. I will end up loving the gal that is betternbacon. If she makes me put my bacon down and pay attention to her, then she is betternbacon and that is the woman I will love.

Sure enough, not a week later, my buddies and I were at the diner eating breakfast and I had just picked up my first piece of bacon. I had it up to my mouth when I saw your granny walking along the sidewalk with a couple of her friends. I stopped, put the piece of bacon down and just sat there for a second."

He picked up his tea and took another sip. As he did, he winked at granny and she winked back.

"No way, is what I heard next. It was my buddy that was sitting across from me.

'What?' I asked.

'Did you just put your bacon down?'

'I did.' I said as I stood up.

'That means you found her?' Another one of my buddies said. Then the last one said, 'You found the betternbacon girl?'

'I sure did!' Was the last thing I said to them as I exited the diner and approached your granny.

So, you see, there was no falling involved. No accident.

The first time I saw her, I knew that I loved her. The bacon was just something silly I had told the guys when we were younger. I had no idea that it would really happen like that. But I am glad it did. It gives them a good story to remember and it gives me a good story to tell."

Johnny took a sip of his tea then concentrated on his whittling a little longer.

"Granny...Gramps? Do you think I will find a betternbacon?"

Granny leaned in to him and said, "Only if you look for her honey, and not fall."

That night Johnny walked up the stairs and stepped over the third step from the top. Unpacked his suitcase then laid on his bed. Looking up at the ceiling with his hands clasped behind his head. He smiled as he thought of his gramps' story. He knew it had to be true because granny would not let him tell a tale that included her.

He got up and headed to the stairs. He descended slowly and with purpose. As he stepped on the third step from the top he heard the familiar "creeeeeaaak."

"Where are ya goin' boy?"