The Search for Grandma Sparkle: A novel About the Mysterious Disappearance of a Rural Senior Citizen

Thirty-Five

CHAPTER ONE

Sarah Spoolstra felt good as she rode with her friend, Tom Hager, on Highway 5 to the Knoxville Racetrack. In fact, her only concern was that the sprint car races would be canceled. The weather fore-cast was for rain on this Saturday night in July and thick gray clouds were on the horizon. The black gumbo dirt track would be slick if it rained causing the cancellation of the races.

Even on a date, she noticed the countryside around her. Farm houses with old barns and well-tended lawns were scattered here and there. This spring the rain and sun had cooperated in early planting of corn so it was now about five feet tall. She and her sister, Susan, used to play hide and seek in the corn fields. In October, there would be mazes cut into some fields. You could then walk the maze and go on spooky hay rides before you bought your pumpkins for jack-o’-lanterns.

Sarah turned and looked at Tom. She was so lucky to have such a hunk dating her. He was six inches taller than her five foot five frame. His black curly hair was cut short. But it was his twinkling blue eyes that most attracted her.

Both of them were students at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny. They met in Sociology class and only started dating after spring finals of their other classes. Tom was taking summer classes for a degree in criminal justice and hoped to enter the Iowa Highway Patrol program whenever the state reopened classes again. Sarah was enrolled in the RN nursing program which had Sociology as a requirement.

They met in a study group after Sociology class and she saw him again at church on Sunday. Tom was a person who noticed things that slid right by her. Then he made lists with more details. Studying his lists really helped her when it came time for tests. When he was nervous, like when he was taking a test, he pulled at the lobe of his right ear. She also noted that he didn’t like pauses in conversation but had no problem filling any pauses with his thoughtful remarks. Of course, she talked a lot too.

Sarah reached over and touched his right arm. Tom is so easy to be with, she thought. He asked her questions and wanted her opinions. That was so different from the way things were at home. Dad always let you know that he was the head of the household and made all family decisions. Susan challenged him but he still felt that neither her or her mother’s plans and opinions were important.

Have you ever watched the Sprint car races before? Tom’s voice brought her back to the present.

Of course I have. I was raised on a farm about fifteen miles south of Knoxville. A group of us kids went every Saturday night.

She glanced at the dark clouds and said, I hope that we won’t be rained out tonight- when she was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone.

No, no, no, Sarah moaned into the phone.

Jessica too? How did that happen?

Her face was red but her fingers gripping the cell phone were white. Tears were running down her face.

Tom pulled onto the shoulder of the road, released the seat belt and put her head on his shoulder hugging her. Sarah accepted his closeness only vaguely aware of it.

What happened? Tom whispered.

Sarah pushed the button to end the call and turned to Tom.

Grandma Sparkle is gone and Jessica too. Sarah sobbed.

I’m sorry your grandma died. How old was she? Who is Jessica?

No, you don’t understand. I didn’t say she died. I said she is gone! She is missing! Jessica is my three year old niece. She’s missing too!

Has this happened before? Does she often wander off?

No, Grandma Sparkle always told Susan or mom if she went somewhere and expected them to give her the same courtesy. Shes very strict about that. My sister Susan and her daughter Jessica are living in grandma’s house.

Do you want to go to the races or go to your family?

Take me home. Sarah’s voice was emphatic. Or take me to grandma’s house, wherever we see cars.

Point the way. Tom pulled back onto the highway.

Just continue down Highway 5 about fifteen miles south of Knoxville. It’s past our house. Then I’ll tell you where to turn.

I’m not sure how we can look for them but I’m willing to help. Tom said.

They drove in silence for a few miles. Sarah’s eyes were closed and her lips moved but Tom couldn’t hear her..Are you okay? I’m sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. Of course, you aren’t okay.

I was just praying for God to please keep them safe and bring them back to us.

Maybe you will feel better if you can talk about them. If I am to be any help, I need more information. What is your grandmother’s name? How old is she? What does she look like?

"Opal Spoolstra. She is seventy, no, seventy two years old. She looks like a grandmother. You know, not really fat but what she calls fluffy. Her short hair is white and she wears glasses. She is tall, about 5 feet 10 inches tall. I’ve heard her called statuesque.

She is always telling stories. Sometimes she forgets who knows her stories and who hasn’t heard them. Then she repeats them. I’ve heard some of her stories many times. She keeps active with her friends, church and many clubs. Grandma Sparkle likes to cook and bake and take care of her flowers and garden. She really likes to have family around her. She does everything with gusto. I mean she puts her whole heart into whatever she does."

I thought that you called her Grandma Sparkle not Spoolstra. Who named her Sparkle?

I did. I was three or four when I was questioning who was who in the family. My Great Grandmother, Clara Spoolstra, was alive then so she was Grandmother Spoolstra to me. I couldn’t have two Grandma Spoolstras. After hearing her friend Ruth talk to Grandma, about the club that she belonged to called S-P-A-R-K-L-E; I asked what sparkle meant and she said that sparkle meant to give off or reflect light or to shine. She was wearing a T-shirt that glittered so I said to her, ‘You are Grandma Sparkle.’ Everyone laughed but when her friend, Ruth, thought about Opal’s effervescent personality, she looked at Grandma and agreed. Grandma Opal Spoolstra liked the name so she has been Grandma Sparkle to the family ever since.

When Tom and Sarah arrived at Grandma Sparkles house, they saw the Marion County Sheriff"s car, the Highway Patrol’s car and the house fenced off with police tape. A TV van was parked along the road but observed the yellow barrier.

Now what do we do? Tom asked.

Let’s go a half mile up the road to our house and see who’s there. Sarah answered.

There were cars parked every which way in the driveway. Sarah hurried into the garage past the laundry room and into the dining room where several family members looked up from their coffee cups to see who was there. After hugs, Sarah introduced Tom to her father George and several cousins.

Where is Susan? Where is Mom? she queried.

Sarah’s father looked at her but didn’t answer.

They are at Grandma Sparkle’s house talking to the Highway Patrolmen and Marion County Sheriffs officers, someone answered.

What do you know?

Susan went shopping with your mom in Oskaloosa . Since Jessica was napping, Susan asked Grandma Sparkle to take care of her. When they got home, Susan and Nancy found a note on the kitchen table that Grandma Sparkle had written.

One of the cousins got up from the table and brought the note to her. It said, "We are going to Ruth’s house and then Jessica wants to go play on the swings so we are going to go to the Bussey park."

Susan and Nancy figured that Grandma and Jessica should be home by now so they hurried to the playground in the park. They weren’t there. No child was playing on the playground. Some men were pouring cement for a basket ball court but had not seen them or Grandma’s car. Susan called 911, the cousin answered.

Sarah saw that her father’s salt and pepper hair was thinner on top. His forehead had a white line where his hat covered it in a farmer’s tan. The rest of his face was quite dark brown. He barely opened his blue eyes. He was a man who wanted action but now he sat like a zombie. He seemed to want to say something but was unable to find the words. Suddenly He stood up and said. I can’t take this any longer. I’m going to get into my car and look for them. Who wants to go with me?

Without a word the cousins stood up and followed their uncle out the door. They knew that there was not much time for sunlight and the dark clouds looked like rain.

CHAPTER TWO

Tom sat down by the dining room table in the house where Sarah grew up while Sarah picked up the cups and plates her father and cousins had used and brought them to the kitchen. When she returned to the dining room, he looked at her and asked, Can you find a recent photo of Grandma Sparkle and Jessica?

Sure, she responded. Just wait here.

It sounded like she was going up the stairs.

She returned and handed a photo of an older woman at a birthday celebration. Another photo showed a cute little girl with wild curly hair. Tom noted that the woman was approximately five feet ten inches and one hundred and seventy pounds with white hair. Her eyes reminded him of her son George’s blue eyes. She wore a small amount of make upon her oval face. Except for some lines around her eyes, she had few wrinkles. She actually looked just a few years older than her son George but not twenty years older.

Tom saw that three year old Jessica had a twinkle in her blue eyes. She was petite with a small oval face, a pert little nose and bouncy blond curls.

Tom asked, What kind of a car does your grandma drive? Do you know the license number?

Sarah answered, She has an old black Chevy sedan. The license number is 063-BMW and of course it says Marion County on the bottom of it. Grandma Sparkle likes the joke that she has a BMW and I thought it strange that it has the number 63 since that is also the number of Marion County.

Tom looked at Sarah and whispered, Let’s go outside for a walk around the farm so we can talk privately in case someone comes back.

Sarah called her mother on the cell phone, Mom, Tom and I are going for a walk. I want to show him the garden.

They walked around the farm buildings where the yellow and orange day lilies were blooming by the pole barn. The two young people sat on the ground close enough so they could talk comfortably but far enough apart so anyone coming into the driveway couldn’t criticize them.

Sarah turned toward Tom and asked, What will the sheriff do now?

Tom felt the influence of living in a law enforcement home and with his detective reasoning said, I don’t know what the law will do about this situation. A mature woman, who leaves her home without any sign of foul play, won’t be of much interest to the law. They probably wouldn’t file a missing persons report for three days. However, the fact that Jessica is also missing is of more concern. Of course, the fact that she is with her grandmother makes it less of a problem.

Sarah said, Grandma Sparkle is Jessica’s great grandmother but Jessica doesn’t understand that. She calls her Granny. The family just calls her Grandma Sparkle.

Okay, I get that. Tom continued, If the law officers think that this is a kidnapping, Susan’s husband, John, will be the number one suspect. What do you know about him?

"John is a fun loving guy. He thinks of himself as a man but he hasn’t really grown up. His dually Ford truck, that he uses to go mudding, is his main concern these days. He married Susan when his buddy Ted got married. Susan loved him but John thinks of himself first. He never wanted a child. He never wanted to hold Jessica or feed her and has never changed a diaper in his life.

You don’t like him very much, do you?

Why do you say that?

Your tone of voice gives you away. Where does he work?

He works for a car repair in Osky.

Osky?

Osky is Oskaloosa. It’s a town about 25 miles from here. Sarah answered.

What does John look like?

"John is six feet