Mr. Grinch

Chapter 1

My name, Fred E. Grinch. Ya, guess you could say the original family of Grinch's. Did we come from Whoville? No we came from Grinchville, at least that is how it started.

People traveling through the scenic Alps village would make strange remarks about it and would laugh. They would say things like 'What ville, Who's ville, Huh? ville Say again ville' then laugh. Especially in the other towns.

How it got to be Grinchville in the first place was, we were a large and prolific family so to speak. We grew and we grew.

The trips to the towns around became a bit of a chore to get the supplies and mail a large family needs. We weren't all family in population, we had friends that had moved in the valley and slopes too. So Great Grand Father, Grand Father and Father, and so on. They decide they needed to have stores, where family and people could get them readily. That was the basic reason for the building of Grinchville. That and getting mail and things delivered.

Now there was a railroad that ran through our valley. It went to a secluded picturesque valley north of us. Hid Away Valley, a noted Ski resort in winter and a noted nature get away in the summers. It was the wealthy that traveled to that valley. Now sometimes they, the wealthy, would need something and would venture in to our village.

For some reason they, got the idea we were all grinchy and kind of mean and beneath them. Some wouldn't even come to the village if there life actually depended on it.

There had been some run-ins with a few of those people. They came in to our village acting all uppity and such. My Great Grandfather who was a bit intimidating, would explain to them the facts of life. He would explain that their wealthy asses, ate, crapped, and dressed like all the other people did in the world. That money wealth could be a very fleeting thing, to which some of them found out. I guess his towering stature helped a little, looking up to what looks like a very large bear.

Now with what other towns and villages were telling us of what people said and the laughter with it, the elders decided a name change was in need. They decided Whoville was the best, personally I think they could have done better. That is a bit of the story about Grinchville that had been told to me.

Chapter 2

Now back to Fred E. Grinch. I lived in the suburbs now near a large city. Nice place to live actually quiet and peaceful, like Whoville. I actually went back to Whoville once, had to with my name being what it is and the stories. The village has just about disappeared now, with new roads and progress edging in, but it is still a quiet picturesque place. Most of the younger generations have moved away from the rural life to the more modern city life

.

I went to college and got my degrees and met a lovely little thing attending the college also. Blonde hair, sky blue eyes, ample bosom, firm butt, slim build. She was just six inches shorter than I am, at six foot one inch

.

Eloise was a very intelligent woman, with a quick wit and a business mind that was sharp. She was an eloquent dresser, and very alluring dresser when she wanted to be.

When we attended parties we tended to draw attention. Especially when she was being alluring and sexy in dresses slit up to a few inches below her lady parts. Another reason is because we towered over almost everyone. Being six foot seven and six foot one I guess you could say we stuck out.

I was a bit loud sometimes also, at two hundred and sixty pounds and tall as I am, I just had a big deep voice. Ell would tell me many times to use my quieter sexy voice at parties. I would just laugh, which wasn't quiet, and tell her 'Yes dear'.

We became exclusive to each other pretty much for the obvious reasons. Ell seem to intimidate the young men and I was afraid of breaking young tiny things. We actually matched very well on all things, physically and intellectually, and on visions of our lives, so we got engaged. We married after we got our degrees and began working.

We had a wonderful wedding. Ell was going overboard on many things for the wedding. I had to remind her a couple of times, our dream house or a one day wedding. The mothers stepped in and Ell got what she wanted and they saved the dream of the house.

The wedding reception went wonderfully, Ell got many young men to dance with her and I had many young ladies to dance with. One in particular was an itty bitty maybe five foot brunette. We tried a little waltz but it wasn't working to well. I being a bit of smart ass just picked her up to my level and waltzed her around in my arms. Her cute little ass resting on my arm, I don't think she weighed a hundred pounds.

The waltz ended when a felt a tap on my shoulder and there stood Ell.

"No, your not taking that little dolly home with you." Ell said sternly.

I began to chuckle and Amy, I think her name was, reached out to Ell with both hands saying, as I wrapped the other arm around and squeezed an couple times.

"Momma, Momma."

Ell got to laughing and so did Amy and I. Ell looked at her and said.

"Oh, now that was precious Amy. I wish I had a recording of this." I found out later there was a recording.

I sat Amy down and she immediately hugged Ell and told her to get me to the bedroom before some, other, vamp tries to steal her husband.

We said our goodbyes to the party and headed out for our honey moon. We went to Jamaica's Sandals Resort. Which was fabulous, what we saw of it anyway.

Our week long honeymoon went splendidly. We lounged around the beaches and toured the towns. We danced at the resort's nightclub, but we entertained I ourselves mostly in the our room.

We came back from the honeymoon and we were back to work. We were enjoying our apartment life in the city for about a year. Then we bought our home in the suburbs. It was a custom built type on the inside, with counters being a bit tall and baths being a bit larger and such things.

The home was on a culdesac and on raised hill right in the center of the culdesac. We also purchased the two smaller lots on either side of our house at a large discount. The reason being the developer said they were unusable for building. So that left the back open for a nice pool.

I our home was the first built on that street, but it wasn't long before we had neighbors. The way the homes were built ours seem to tower over them kind of like a king's castle over his domain with the extra yard space on either side, that made Ell and I chuckle.

One day, one of our smart ass neighbors came over for a backyard party. There were seven couples some with children at the backyard get together.

It was a nice summer day and Ell and I were bringing out some food and snacks. Ryan, the smart ass neighbor, opened the door for us calling out to everyone at the party.

"I present King and Queen Grinch. Hail to the King and Queen."

That is the way our little group of seven couples acted around one another. Some times trying to out do each other on things.

Ell liked to decorate for the fall holidays. Decorating the yard and house up for Halloween and Thanks Giving and Christmas. I liked to also, but Ell, that was her thing.

Our minions, as I liked to call them, would invite us to their homes. We would in turn invite them to ours through the holidays. We would have festive times and compliment each other on the decorations and things. We just seemed to to have festive times pretty much year round.

The neighborhood grew and our street filled with houses. Four couples of our group moved due to work changes and things, so we dwindled down to three couples. We did invite other new couples in to the group. Some joined in for awhile, some just on rare occasions.

We tried to keep the gatherings together but life, family, and children seemed to dampen things. Ell and I watched has the others had their children, dreaming some day we would have one of our own. We still managed to get together on one, maybe, two season holidays now. Christmas seemed to be the best time and most joyous.

Chapter 3

Ell and I were into our early thirties, when Ell told me one night she was going out with girls to a bachelorette party for awhile. That wasn't unusual she went out with girls on occasions. She told me she would be back at 11 o'clock. She didn't come back on time, I gave her till midnight and was getting ready to start calling out of concern.

There was a knock on the door. I opened it and saw a patrol officer standing there. He looked up at me and spoke. He asked my name and acknowledged it.

"Mr. Grinch I am Officer Jackson and I need to inform you your wife, Eloise

Grinch, is at the hospital. There has been an accident, the car she was driving hit ice in the road and she lost control. The other two passengers are at the hospital also."

"Oh my god, is she ok, how bad was it."

"I am sorry sir, I don't have that information on her status, but the accident was a serious one." Officer Jackson said

.

I was numb all over. I began to fear the worse and started trembling. My dazed look caused the officer to ask if I was alright. I told him yes and I was leaving immediately. I had no one to call close so I called Ryan and his wife Cindy waking them up. Ryan said he would take me there.

We arrived at the hospital and was told she was in surgery at that time. I inquired about their injuries and the women at the desk told me she would get someone to come talk to me as soon as possible.

After about thirty minutes of anxious waiting an E R doctor came in, he was the one who first attended to Ell. He explained that she a had broken arm and leg which wasn't of to much concern. That there wasn't any internal injuries. Then he said, 'But', and my dread started to over whelm me.

"She received a bad head trauma and is in surgery now. There was swelling on the brain and we had to get that reduced." He went on. "We will know in few days."

"When can I see Ell." I asked.

"It should be another hour or so. We will come and get you immediately when she is out and in recovery."

Ryan and I were then taken to another waiting room where Ell would be going to a room. I told Ryan he should go on home and I would call him and Cindy when I knew more or if anything changed. Ryan eventually left after thirty minutes and at my insistence he should go on home.

Finally a surgical doctor came, telling me that everything went well and they had Ell still heavily sedated for now.

"I will warn you that when you see her it will look scary but she is doing fine and everything looks good. We won't know the extent of any brain injury for a day or two, if there is any."

I didn't like the sound of that last sentence.

I thanked him and went to Ell, to say the least I was shocked. There were bags and monitors surrounding the bed she laid in, wires coming from every where. Her face was swollen and casts on her right leg and arm. Ell's beautiful long blonde hair I was assuming, was gone with the way her head was bandaged and a hard neck collar under her chin. I didn't see any life support systems in place, that made me feel a little better.

The nurses had placed a chair close to the bed. I went to Ell and gently kissed her on the forehead and whispered to her.

"I love you, I love you, you must get well."

I sank into the chair and wept holding her hand hoping for response, but it was just a warm seemingly lifeless hand.

I was awakened by a nurse puttering around the room checking monitors and bags. Some time in the night a blanket had been put over me. I jolted a fully awake realizing where I was and what was going on.

"Good morning Mr.Grinch. How are you?" she asked. "I am Robin and will be your wife's nurse for today."

"How is Ell doing?" I asked

"She is doing fine, everything is going well."

I asked about the other two women in the vehicle and the nurse told me she wasn't sure but thought one had been released last night and the other this morning. I asked Robin, the nurse, if she had their names. She didn't unfortunately.

"But her cell phone is in her belongings."

I pulled the blanket off of me and stood up needing to find restroom. Robin kind of gasped looking up at me.

"I thought you were a big man, but, jeez, I didn't know you were Paul Bunyan type." She said and chuckled as I towered over her five foot frame.

I chuckled to her and told I needed to find a restroom and go get something to eat. She directed me to both locations and said that she would have a noon meal brought to me later.

The next two days went by in a bit of a haze. The evening of the second day the doctor said they were going to allow her to wake up the next morning.

The morning came and the room got real busy. It was an hour before she came around, the doctor and nurses were standing by when she opened her puffy eyes. She was startled and confused at first until the doctor explained to her she was in the hospital. That she had been injured in a car accident. Ell then spoke in a raspy voice.

"Is my mom and dad here."

"Yes they are here in a waiting room, but someone else is here to see you first." the doctor told her as he stepped back smiling and I came into her view.

I stepped up close to give her a kiss, speaking to and kissing her on the lips gently.

"Hey sweetie, how are you feeling. I have been so worried about you, Ell."

I didn't notice her frown but I did notice her pulling back from my kiss.

"Who are you?" Ell spoke out. "And my name isn't L, I want my mom and dad."

Ell seemed very confused and getting upset when the doctor spoke up again. I didn't know what I was feeling right at that moment.

"Mr. Grinch can I have talk with you for a moment?"

I was confused as the doctor and I left the room and Ell's parents entered. I had turned to look back and saw them hug and kiss her one at a time. I saw Ell's good arm go around them and embrace them. The doctor touched me on the arm and spoke.

"Mr. Grinch, Mr. Grinch. Come, let's go some where to talk."

"Call me Fred.. Dr.Kemp. Fred is fine." I said to him with a deep frown of confusion on my face.

We entered a room and sat down and he explained to me Ell might be suffering from some amnesia, it should be temporary but time will only tell. He asked how long we had been married and I told him ten years. He just gave me a not so promising 'Hmm, I see.' and let it drop.

Chapter 4

Seven days later the doctors and hospital released Ell to go home. Ell still didn't recognize me or recall anything about us yet. I thought this was strange. We gathered her and her things, put them in the car and went to the house.

Ell managed pretty well in the casts as far as getting around. Between her parents and I, we waited on and hovered over her for anything she needed.

Ell announced she needed to shower the next evening. I stepped up to her where she was sitting and helped her up. She was still hesitant about taking my hand.

"You need help getting bathed sweetie? I can help you." I asked kind of nonchalantly, not thinking. Her reaction struck me to my core.

"I don't think so..Mr., Fred, right?. My mother can do that." Ell said sternly and accusingly. "Mom, can you help me hobble to the bath?"

As they left the room Ell turned her head to look at me with a very unfriendly glare and frown.

"It is going to be okay Fred just give her a few days. She took a really hard hit to the noggin."

Her dad spoke up reaching up and rubbing the top of my shoulder.

That didn't comfort me. I told him needed some time alone and went outside to set in a chair at the back of the yard. I sat there for maybe an hour in the dark, drinking the beers I had taken with me. Drinking and crying in my beers. Something was terribly wrong.

I went back in the house and over heard Ell talking to her parents.

"When are we going home and why isn't Ben here?"

I stayed out of sight, but could still see them and just listened.

"Who is Ben, Eloise?" her mother had demanded curtly.

Ell waved her wedding ring and said.

"Duh!"

That was all I could take. My fear of something terribly wrong was happening. I grabbed my keys and headed out the door with Ell's phone and mine. I went to a local spot and grabbed a booth and ordered two beers.

I checked Ell's phone and found Amy's number and called. She picked up quickly.

"Ell, hun, so glad you called. I have been worried sick about you. How are you feeling."

"It's Fred, Amy I need to ask you something of you."

"Sure Fred, but why are you using Ell's phone?" Amy quizzed.

"Because I don't have your number in my phone, sweetie."

"Oh, ok, what can I do for you my big man." Amy giggled.

"Do you know of a man named Ben?" I asked her.

'No, Fred I don't sorry."

"Ok then, did Ell ever mention a man named Ben to you."

"No, she never did, Fred. Why?"

I took a really deep sigh into the phone.

"Because she thinks she is married to some one named Ben."

"Oh my gawd, Fred. I think I know where your going and stop that right now. Ell would never, ever do that."

She told me when ever they went out Eloise acted very appropriately and very.. married.

When they went out she turned away many men. She almost slugged one guy one night she was so pissed at. She didn't dance with any men except one time and we, the girls, caused that, being mean. We told her to loosen up just one time and enjoy the evening.

"Then where did this Ben come from?" I asked her.

Amy said she didn't honestly know, but, would try to find out. Then asked.

"How is Ell doing? I would like to come see her. Can I come over sometime soon?"

"Yes please do. I think she would like that and if you find out anything you can let me know. She is healing and looking better." I told her.

We said our goodbyes. I sat there awhile longer drinking my beers and eating snack food. I searched Ell's phone logs and messages and couldn't find anything other than her work and our family and friends.

I got back home before midnight and went to bed. Ell was in the third bedroom for the ease of getting in and out of bed, being that our bed was oversized. I was sleeping in what use to be, 'our bed' alone. Her parents were in the guest bedroom.

I didn't sleep well that night, but I hadn't slept well for days. The accident happened the evening before Halloween and Thanks Giving was coming quick.

Chapter 5

I had called Dr. Kemp to inform him of what was happening and he referred me to another doctor who specializes in these things. I went to see that doctor and he told me a last event will sometimes replace a long term memory and just to wait for a longer time period. Things need to readjust.

Amy did come over two days later to see Ell which did brighten Ell's mood. They talked and some things Ell could recall others she was vague on. But she did ask Amy where Ben was and why he hadn't come to get her. Amy and Ell's parents quickly cooked up a story to ease Ell's mind about him being out of the country and couldn't get back. Ell accepted that to a point.

I asked Amy about this, Ben, and she told she hadn't found out any thing yet.

I told Amy what that doctor told me to see if that would help in finding out if this man was real or not.

Amy got a shocked look on her face all of a sudden. She took my hand and drug me outside and made me sit. She walked away from me and made a phone call. I seen her hand go to her forehead and rub across it several times. She went in the house and brought back two beers and a tall glass of wine. My senses told be this might not be good.

"Ok, Fred I need to, to, to,..."

"Say it Amy, get it over with so I can go kill someone!" I snarled. Amy began trembling then speaking.

"That bachelorette party we went to the night of the accident. I and another friend of mine hired some male strippers. Now before you get your panties in a wad and want to hurt me, please listen."