Nobody's Fool

happened, a look of pure astonishment on his face. Also, he was embarrassed by the condition of his shirtfront.
    â€œHe’s my best friend,” Sully explained, “but he’s a little slow on the uptake.”
    â€œYou never introduced me before,” Rub said.
    â€œSure I have,” Sully said. “You just forgot.”
    â€œWell, I don’t remember it,” Rub explained.
    â€œThat’s what I just said,” Sully pointed out.
    â€œI’d remember,” Rub insisted.
    Sully nodded, grinning at him. “Say the Carnation Milk jingle.”
    â€œI like tits best of all,” Rub began confidently, only to discover he was lost.
    â€œAren’t you going to say hi to Peter?” Sully suggested.
    â€œHowdy, Sancho,” Peter said. “Hi.” Rub scowled.
    â€œWhy don’t you grab the other end of that mattress?” Sully suggested. “Ralph here looks pooped.”
    â€œI am too,” Ralph admitted. “I don’t have to do nothing to
get
pooped, either.”
    â€œThat’s because you’re old,” Sully explained.
    â€œI’m not as old as you, and you work all day.”
    â€œActually, he watches us work,” Peter observed over his shoulder as he and Rub, who’d begun to look a little pale again, carted the mattress past them toward the U-Haul.
    â€œYou want a cup of coffee, Sully?” Ralph offered. “I got some made.”
    â€œGood,” Sully said. “Let’s go inside and sit down and watch them work. It’s cold out here.”
    Ralph led the way. Will was in the kitchen drinking from a coffee cup, so Sully pulled up a chair next to his grandson. “What’s that?”
    â€œHot chocolate.”
    â€œI can make you that if you want,” Ralph offered.
    â€œCoffee’s fine,” Sully assured him.
    â€œNo trouble,” Ralph said. “The cocoa’s right here.”
    â€œCoffee’s fine.”
    â€œTake me two minutes to heat the water, is all.”
    â€œNo wonder Vera’s annoyed with you all the while,” Sully said. “Bring me a cup of coffee.”
    Ralph poured a cup from the coffee maker on the drain board. “You want cream and sugar?”
    â€œNo, I want coffee.”
    â€œThey’re right here,” Ralph said, indicating them and that it was no trouble.
    Sully nudged Will. “I still don’t have my coffee,” he said. “I could have drunk three cups by now.”
    â€œHere,” Ralph said, setting the cup in front of Sully and pulling up a chair. “I’m glad you and your friend showed up. Now maybe it’ll all bedone before Vera gets back from Schuyler. That’s the bed from the guest room they’re loading, and she’s going to have a kitten.”
    â€œThey could take my bed,” Sully suggested.
    â€œThen where would you sleep?”
    â€œOn the couch. I don’t sleep enough to bother anymore anyhow.”
    â€œMe neither,” Ralph said sadly. “I bet I’m up twenty times a night.”
    â€œVera finds out you let Peter take that bed, and you’re going to be the one with no place to sleep.”
    â€œI wish I hadn’t been asleep last night,” he said. “We were burglarized.”
    â€œYou’re kidding.”
    Ralph looked guilty. “Just the garage. You’ll never guess what they took.”
    â€œYes, I will,” Sully warned him. “They took the snowblower.”
    â€œWas it you who did it?” Ralph said, slack-jawed with amazement.
    â€œNo, but I know who did.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œThe guy I stole it from. Don’t worry. I’ll steal it back.”
    Ralph shook his head, studied Will, who was taking all this in. “Your grandpa Sully’s one of a kind, ain’t he?”
    Will looked back and forth between the two men, clearly unprepared to voice an opinion.
    â€œYou want some more hot chocolate?” Ralph said.
    Will shook his head.
    â€œYou want a poke in the eye with a sharp stick?” Sully offered.
    â€œYou don’t have a stick,” Will pointed out.
    â€œYou going to let your two grandpas visit you in your new apartment?”
    â€œAnd Grandma Vera.”
    â€œRight,” Sully said.
    Peter and Rub came back through then. “Just the top mattress, and we’re set,” Peter said. “Step down, Sancho,” he reminded Rub.
    â€œI know it,” Rub