As I sat down in my old, wooden rocking chair to tell my grandchildren about the experience that changed my life and theirs; they gathered around me with wide eyes.
“Grandpa! Grandpa!”, little Kyle yelled. “Are there any monsters in this story?”
I laughed, looking down at his worried face. “Of course not Kyle. Don't you worry, this is a story about love, action, and most exciting part, time travel!”
All the children couldn’t help but laugh as Grandpa Joe rocked back in his chair and made a “whoosh” noise, as If he was in a rocket.
I began my story, telling it as if it just happened yesterday.
“It was 1945 I was living in Mississippi, It was a Friday night, a warm, breezy summer night. That's when I saw her. Her name was Ana, I heard as her friends yelled her name. I knew I loved her from the moment I saw her.
Just then Grace, the youngest of the kids, shouted, “Grandpa! Isn't grandmas name Ana?!”
“Let him finish Grace!” Kyle nudged his sister as he smiled this huge smile at grandpa.


Grandpa Joe laughed again, as he continued. “I saw her at the county fair. I can still remember what she was wearing. A white summer dress, cowboy boots and she had a bright sunflower placed perfectly in her golden curly hair. She was standing by the kissing booth with her friends, laughing at a boy trying to impress her. She was the the most beautiful girl iv ever seen, and I was going to make her mine. “Joe!” Tommy, my best friend screamed as he ran towards me. “What are you staring at?” “Nothing Tommy, nothing.” I said. “Lets go, you wanted to get something to eat right?”


“Yup, lets go slow poke” as he playfully punched my arm. For the rest of that night, I couldn’t get Ana out of my head. I had to talk to her. So I strode over to where I last seen her and I was disappointed to not find her there. I wanted this night to end so fast it already went down after I didn’t see her anymore. As I made an excuse to Tommy to get home early and sleep since my cousins wedding is tomorrow I decided to take the long walk home and wonder what a normal shy kid like me even think of approaching the girl with the curly hair.


The next week after the fair my parents had a gathering at a restaurant. Everything was going swell, the food was good and so was the company. As I was eating I noticed Ana there as a waitress. She didn't notice me but I couldn't take my eyes off her. Soon after the party was over with, I hear a bang. I proceeded to follow the sound. It traced back to Ana crouched down picking up several plates. I crouch down next to her to help her pick them up. “Are you hurt?” I asked. “I'm fine thank you”. I proceeded to tell her how beautiful she is. Her eyes lit up as she wasn't expecting to hear that. She didn't respond so I asked her if I said something wrong?. “No” she said, picking up plates. I noticed her horse shoe earrings. I automatically remembered my parents saying they were going to Chicago for the weekend and leaving me their keys to the horse ranch. “What are you doing tomorrow Ana?”, “I don’t know” she responded. “Meet me at my horse ranch 8'o clock sharp!”. She chuckled.


I spent all day thinking which slacks go with which dress shirt, which shoes go with which hat, even which tie goes with it all. I felt like I swallowed my heart and it was beating in my stomach. Eight o'clock hit. She was not there. I sat outside the ranch every minute waiting for her felt as if hours were passing by. Eight twenty eight, Ana had arrived.




It was a beautiful summer night, we slowly rode our horses from the ranch to the beach. We didn't even talk much but I was in love. The day past so quickly before I knew it we had fallen asleep only to wake up watching the sun rise. “Oh my!” Ana shouted, “my father is gonna kill me!”. Once she started running I chases her “let me take you home!”, “There's no time!” she replied. I ran with her all the way home. I told her to come back same place same time tomorrow.


As the months we spent together past we had fallen in love. Everything was perfect.


A few months more in and things started going downhill. We had been together for eleven months. It was June. My parents met Ana but didn't approve and had a woman set for me to marry, her name was Lila. My parents had been taking me and Lila for several dinners and I hadn’t told Ana because I had no feelings for Lila and believed there was no reason to tell her. The following week we had another dinner scheduled at Jupiter Diner, a snazzy little joint to eat at. Every time we would go out with Lila I could not get my mind off Ana. I felt like I would see her everywhere but today was different. I saw her before me. Her eyes watering. She was a waitress at my parents party again. She ran back into the kitchen. I chased her and tried to explain what happened. She wouldn't listen to me and ran home. The next five months I spent sitting outside her home, sending her letters and begging for forgiveness.



I gave up. I married Lila, we moved to New York into an apartment of her choice, one that I would never live in if it were my choice. Me and Ana had plans to move to Minnesota and buy a house near a lake with a beautiful view and set up. Nothing felt right and I would still think of Ana daily. Work eventually started moving slow and Lila was always working, I felt alone. I couldn’t help but compare everything Lila did to Ana. I couldn’t get over her.

My 5 year anniversary was around the corner. Soon to find out Lila would be away for business. I decided to search yellow pages and everything I could to find out Ana's location. I called. She answered, I said its Joe and she hung up. I needed to take a walk. I walked all the way to eighth street in Manhattan where I stumbled upon a strange thrifty looking magic shop. There were so many strange things. Rusty colored coins, animal tails, doll heads and strange toys that look like they came from Japan. I went through a door way with beads hanging between it. As I looked through everything I stumbled upon Time Dust. It read “Wish you can go back in time? Close your eyes, imagine where you want to be, put this in your palm, take a deep breath and blow!”. I purchased it for eighty five cents.

Later on I arrived home to an empty house again. Luckily I enjoyed television. The first thing that came on was Ana's favorite horse movie. I could not help but cry. I went into my bathroom and cried. I looked in my pockets for a tissue but all I had was the time dust. I decided nothing can go wrong from this. I put it in my palm, imagined I was back to when my parents first brought up the idea of Lila so I can deny everything and stay with Ana! And I blew the dust. I felt a tingly sensation all through my body. I opened my eyes. There was my bathroom wall exactly how it was before. I decided to call it a night and go to sleep.




Waking up to my parents yelling, though I didn’t remember them flying in to visit. I opened my eyes a bit more. Only to realize I was in my old home. I ran to the mirror. I was six years younger. “The dust worked!” I shouted. I ran to my parents, they as well were younger! The first thing I wanted to do was see Ana. I jumped on my bike and stormed to her house. There she was on her porch. Sitting, smiling waiting for me. It felt like the first time I had ever seen her. I couldn't help but cry from joy. I thought I'd never see her again. I ran to her, lifted her and spun with her in my arms. I couldn't stop kissing her. Every kiss felt special. It was like no other kiss. I felt the spark between us every time we kissed. I felt it was true love.

We spent the whole day together just like old times. Once I came home my parents brought up the idea of Lila. I declined. I declined everything. There was no way I would ever want my future to turn out the way it did. I put my foot down and told them I'm marrying Ana.

It took them three years to come to terms with it. They had cut me off from receiving money and left me with my belongings to live with Ana. She started designing clothes for the women of our town and I worked as a handy man until we made it. That is the story of me and your grandmother.