Early the next morning, right after Roy Lewis and Timmy finished their breakfast, Uncle Axel brought the phone over.
"Master Lewis, it's your grandfather's call."
Roy took the phone, "Grandpa, what's the matter?"
The old man on the other end of the phone cleared his throat gently and paused before speaking.
"Roy, in a few days, it will be the anniversary of your father's death. My heart feels uneasy. Do you think Timmy has time to come over and keep me company for a while?"
The old man was advanced in years, but his children and grandchildren were not particularly thoughtful.
Roy and Timmy were the exceptions. They might annoy him sometimes, but in the grand scheme of things, they reassured him.
Roy was aware of this. After all, it was a white-haired man sending off a black-haired man; his father was the old man's most beloved eldest son. Therefore, every year at this time, it was especially difficult for his grandfather.
