Grandma Gerty's Magic Elixir WC 296

Eight-year-old Susan has a sleepover at Grandma Gerty's house.

Grandma Gerty’s Magic Elixir

Susan loved it when she got to stay overnight at Grandma Gerty’s, especially in the winter.

“Grandma, you are so cool,” Susan said as she pulled on her red mittens.

Grandma Gerty had given the okay for Susan to go sledding down the hill across the road.

“And here I thought I was hot,” Gerty said, mumbling to herself, “When I was younger…” Her voice drifted off.

“Well, that makes you hot and cool, then.”

“Your mother would kill me if she found out! She crashed going down that hill when she was your age. Maybe a bit older. Nine.”

“I won’t tell. Cross my heart!” And she crossed her heart with her mittened hand. “So, I’ll see you before the streetlights come on.”

“I’ll have the hot cocoa ready.”

“Yay!”

Susan looked forward to Grandma Gerty’s famous hot cocoa. It was the real deal, not the instant stuff in packets that her mom would serve. Grandma would take a tin of cocoa from the cupboard, spoon the fragrant brown powder into a mug, add hot milk, and stir until the elixir steamed dark and rich. The first sip would always scald her tongue, then warm her up all the way down.

The bundled-up eight-year-old hurried out the back door, picked up her sled, and headed across the road.

Susan looked down the hill as she readied her sled. It was awfully steep. Her mom had crashed at the age of nine, and Susan was only eight.
She was frozen in place; minutes went by. She chickened out and dragged her sled back across the street. She leaned it against the porch steps and hurried into the house.

She could already feel the warmth of Grandma Gerty’s magic elixir as it traveled to her tummy.

WC 296