Nine year old Jamie loved his Pop, his childhood name for his paternal grandfather. Pop had lived with Jamie and his parents since Granma passed away three years earlier and had taken Jamie on many adventures. In the old motorboat, they had often travelled up the shore some ten miles, to the small community of Beaver’s Inlet where Jamie’s grandfather had once been a boy himself. The many islands of Newfoundland’s largest bay, 365 in total, had the boy would soon learn, once been home to several thousand people, most of whom had been inshore fishermen. There he learned to jig Cod and went trout fishing in the many ponds. Sometimes when Pop did not reply to one of his many questions, Jamie would look up and see that the old man was lost in thought, as though reliving some long ago moment. He loved his grandfather’s stories and often wondered what it would have been like to live in those long ago days.

Today however, Jamie’s young life had been turned upside down. Leaving school, he found his aunt Margaret waiting for him. She quickly explained that his grandfather had suffered what appeared to be a stroke and had been taken by ambulance to the hospital in Clarenceville. Jamie’s mom and dad had followed in the family car and had promised to call as soon as there was any news. Aunt Margaret had no children and her husband, uncle Jack, worked as a cook with Canadian National on the ferry run between Port au Bas and North Sydney. This meant that he was away from home for extended periods of time. Aunt Margaret would usually be watching one of her soaps at this time of day, but since there was little for him to do as he waited for news, Jamie was given free access to the TV. Even YTV however, held no interest for him today, and he jumped to his feet when the telephone rang. It wasn’t his mother however, but a neighbour wanting to chat about what had happened in today’s episode of The Young and the Restless.

Aunt Margaret didn’t talk for long and a few minutes later, the phone rang again. This time it was her sister, Jamie’s mom and as they talked the boy tried to catch something that would tell him that Pop was okay. At last his aunt hung up the phone and turned to Jamie. “You will have to stay with me tonight”, she said gently, “your mom and dad are staying at the hospital with your Pop” Jamie was full of questions, “Is Pop going to be okay? “Can I go see him”? Aunt Margaret spoke quietly, “ I don’t know if your Pop is going to be okay or not Jamie, your mom and dad will know more when they come home, and I’m afraid children aren’t allowed to visit – I’m sorry”. Jamie looked away, he didn’t want his aunt to see the tears in his eyes. Aunt Margaret changed the subject, “dinner will soon be ready and I’ve cooked your favourite, better go and wash up”. The boy closed and locked the bathroom door and stood thinking of his grandfather. “Dear God”, he prayed silently, “please don’t let anything happen to Pop”. He didn’t feel hungry, but knew he shouldn’t disappoint Aunt Margaret, who was just trying to help him feel better. He washed his hands and opening the door, he could smell the aroma of freshly made pizza coming from the kitchen.