“Why did you pick that park to transfer from?” Luke wanted to know.

“Because it’s the most boring. Luke, your new uncle is in search of variety and adventure! Now let’s pick up some dinner, and head to our next stop.”

“The canyon?”

“Nope, there is a little place not far from there, called Kaibab camping grounds. It’s close enough to use as home base, and the owner of Elsie’s Stop ‘N’ Place is a friend of a friend. She’ll put us up for a while.” Jarod smiled at the memory of that friend. An obnoxious little twerp that he had helped to find his direction. The kid was now working in a hospital in Ohio, and happily engaged. Elsie was his aunt and had been delighted at helping Toby’s ‘savior’ with no questions asked.

6:00 PM: “Jarod!” She hollered as she came out of the café, wiping her hands on a towel, and grinning all the way. “Welcome to my little hideaway. And who might this young man be?” She asked as she put one hand behind each back and began herding them inside.

“Elsie, meet Luke. He will be my nephew for a while.” Jarod said with a grin. Elsie tipped her head and smiled up at him then turned to Luke. “He was also the ‘uncle’ of my Toby for a while. And a rascal of a nephew he made, too. You try to be a little easier on our Jarod, you hear?”

Elsie had heard plenty about Jarod and was surprised at how normal he looked. According to Toby, he should be seven feet tall, have a wagon of thick books in tow, and be reciting sage advice with every breath. She liked him at first sight. There was a sort of boyish quality about him that made you want to help him. ‘Ha!’ She said to herself, ‘As if the likes of him would need help from the likes of me!’

Inside she called out. “Two growing boys to feed!”

At their protests that they had just eaten, she tish-tished and tush-tushed, and sat them down, wiping an invisible speck of dirt from the counter. “Liz, how about a couple Grand Canyon Banana Splits?” She yelled.

“You boys can have your pick of rooms. Don’t get many boarders this late in the season. Just look them over and pick the one you want; they ain’t locked. Then tell me and I’ll give you the keys.” With that, Elsie went bustling back into the kitchen.

Liz came out a moment later with their set-ups, and asked them if they wanted something to drink. “Elsie is making your banana splits, she forgot that I don’t know how she makes them.”

“Don’t get many orders for them?” Asked Luke.

Liz smiled, “I don’t know, I haven’t been helping out very long.”

“And how long would that be?” Jarod asked.

“Oh, about an hour and a half.”