29 by Adena Halpern Read Free Book Online

some cute underwear to try on.”
    “You think that’s something? You should see my bra.”
    “I don’t want to, thank you,” she said and laughed again.
    “I’ve always wanted to wear one of those little lace bras with no support.” I smiled.
    “Jeez, Gram—uh, Ellie. I don’t know what to call you!”
    “I’m still your grandmother.”
    “No, you’re not. You’re like my drinking buddy, but that’s not important right now. What is important is the actual wish. Are you sure you’ll only be like this for one day?”
    “How the hell do I know?”
    “What exactly was your wish?”
    “I can’t remember anymore.”
    “Well, it’s kind of important. Did you wish to be twenty-ninefor the rest of your life? Did you wish for a week, or was it just a day?”
    I thought for a second. “Oh, yes, I do remember what I wished, but it was a birthday wish. You’re not supposed to tell birthday wishes, or they don’t come true.”
    She stared at my twenty-nine-year-old self for a moment, until my brain caught up with what I was saying.
    “Oh, so I guess since it came true, I can tell you what I wished for.”
    “Bingo.” She clapped her hands together.
    “It was one day. I wished that I could be twenty-nine for one day.”
    “So there you go. It’s one day. So why don’t you just be twenty-nine for the rest of the day? If it’s that easy, let’s just have some fun today.”
    I thought about that for a moment. Barbara would never have to know, and it would only be one day.
    “You think I should do it?”
    “Why not?” she practically shouted.
    “I’ve always wanted to wear a bikini,” I said, thinking out loud.
    “So we’ll get you one!”
    “And I’ve always wanted to go to one of your bars.” I smiled.
    “So we’ll go! Not in a bikini, though.”
    I couldn’t stop thinking of all the things I wanted to do. Oh, what was I thinking, not allowing myself one day? Of course! It was only one day! I started bubbling with excitement imagining all the possibilities.
    “I want to smoke pot!” I shouted.
    “You’re not smoking pot.”
    “Well, I want to do something crazy, and whatever I say goes. Whatever I look like, I’m still your grandmother,” I warned her.
    “Okay, fine,” Lucy agreed. “So here’s the agenda. First we’re going to get your hair done. It looks awful, Gram. And why are you wearing that scrunchy?”
    “I know what you said about the scrunchy, but my hair was all over the place. I looked like an animal.”
    “Okay, first, hair. Second, bras and underwear.”
    “Check,” I said, running into the kitchen to grab the pad I always keep next to the phone.
    “Third, lunch,” she said, and then stopped. “Actually, let’s have lunch after we get your hair done. I’m starting to get hungry.”
    “I’ve got that cold chicken,” I reminded her.
    “It’s so weird.” She laughed. “You’re so my grandmother, but you’re so not!”
    And then we paused and stared at each other one more time.
    “AHHHHH!” we screamed, hugging each other.
    “Lucy?” we suddenly heard. It was Frida, looking all eighty-five years to her seventy-five. I tell her all the time, Don’t wear your housecoat out of the house, but does she listen to me?
    “Hi, Aunt Frida.” Lucy tried to appear calm as she looked to me for what to do. What could we do?
    “I was just stopping down here from my apartment to see your grandmother. I have a key, you know, so I’m sorry to barge in like this. She didn’t sound right this morning so I just came to check on her.”
    “Oh, she went out,” I said, trying to think of something believable.
    “Oh, she did, did she?” Frida looked at me, and then came a little closer. “You know, it’s the strangest thing, but your friend here looks just like your grandmother when she was young,” she said to Lucy.
    “This is my cousin,” Lucy answered her. “This is Grandma’s brother’s granddaughter, uh, Michele.”
    “It’s uncanny,” Frida said,