Intertwining Memories

Intertwining Memories
Debraholdstightlytotherailingasshewalksdownthestairs.Thesestairsbelongtoher90
yearoldgrandmother,NanaKay.Debrahasbeencomingtothishousesincetheweekshewas
born.Nanahaslivedinthishousefor50years.

Therailing'scherrywoodissmoothandreflective.Attheendoftherailingisacurvedcircle.
Deblovesthisshape,likeasnail'sshell.It'scalledacurlicue.Whenshewasyounger,shecould
fitherwholehandinsidethecurlicue,runitalongalltheedgeswithroomtospare.Now,she
canonlyfitacoupleoffingersalongtheslick,circularcurve.Howshehasgrown!

Asa5yearold,Debrawouldpresshercheekagainstthecool,slickwood.Thenshewould
carefullysitherselfupontherailingandputherarmsouttotheside,likeshewasflying.She
calledthisplayingairplane.Nanausedtoscoldherforit.

Comedownfromthere!Nanawouldsay,sternly.You'llfalldownthestairs!

Debraneverfeltlikeshewasgoingtofall,butNanadidn'tknowthat.

Thatwas15yearsago.Debrais20now.ThisisthehomeNanawasmarriedin,whereshehad
twochildrenDebra'sfatherandheraunt.Allwerebornhere.Oldphotosofherfatherasa
youngboyhangonthewall,someinthesamespot,alongthesamestairs.PhotosofDebra
hangthere,too.Picturesofherinthehospitalonthedayshewasborn,wearingatinywhite
braceletwithhernameonit.

Nomatterhowhardshetries,Debradoesn'trememberbeingborn.Shedoesn'tremember
wearingthatbraceletorhavingthatpicturetaken.Butthereitis,hangingonthewall.Shewas
there,evenifshecan'trememberit.Thephotoremembersforher.

There'salsoaphotoofherfatherinthehospitalattheageof5,inahospitalgown,smilingand
eatingicecream.Debradoesn'tknowwhyhewasinthehospital.Sheassumeshehadhistonsils
removed.

Today,thefamilyispackingallthesephotosaway.Theyarepackingupeverythingandmovingout.
Nanahasgottentoooldtostayhereallbyherselfnow.She'sgoingtoanewhome.It'scalledPine
Bluffs.It'sacomplexofapartments,specificallyfortheelderly,wherepeoplecanlookafterher.

2013 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Intertwining Memories

Therearethreebedroomsupstairs,butrecently,Nanatooktosleepingonthecouchinthe
livingroom.Shesaidthehousewastoobigandempty,andshedidn'tlikegoingupanddown
thestairs.Thetruthis,shecouldn'tclimbthestairssafelyanymore.

Lastweek,Nanalostherfootingonthebottomstair.Sheslippedandfell,butdidn'tfallfar.She
wasn'thurtthankfullybutthefamilyknewitwastimetogetherasmallerplace.SonowNana
isbeingmovedtoPineBluffs.InPineBluffs,therearenodifficultstairs;nolonely,emptyrooms.

InNana'snewhome,therewillbeabustotakehertothesupermarketorthedoctor.Shewill
haveclosefriendsandneighbors.Therewillbeacommunityroomjustoffthelobby,witha
pianoandatelevision.Nanawon'tbelonelyinhernewhome.Buttherewon'tbeanymemories
there,either.Nomorerailingorfireplace.Nomoretinyflapinthecellardoorsothecatmay
comeandgoasshepleases.

AsDebrawalksdownthestairs,sheremovesframedphotographsofherfatherasateenager
andpacksthemawayinabox.Asshepullsthephotosoffthewall,theyleavewhite,clean
squaresonthewallpaperbehindthem.

Onephoto,onesheetofbubblewrap,anotherphotoontop.Shepackscarefully.

WhenDebrawasaveryyounggirl,shelookedatthesephotosofherfatherasateenagerand
thoughthelookedsooldandwise.Now,she'solderthanheisinthesephotos.Hewas18
whenhemovedoutofthehouseandwenttocollege.

Holdingphotographsofherfatherasayoungboy,shefeelslikeshehasenteredatime
machine.Sheknowseverythingabouthimnow,buttheyoungboyinthesephotoscouldn't
possiblyhaveknownthatonedayhewouldhaveDebraasadaughter.

Sometimes,Debrastopspackingandpopsoneofthebubblesonthebubblewrap.Itisa
familiarsoundandfeelingatinygushofairbetweenhertwofingers.It'sthereforonlya
second,andthenit'sgone.Theairdisappearsbutthememorystays.Sheimaginesitoverand
overagain.Pop.Gush.Pop.

Debfiguresthatthismemoryisthesameforeveryone.Allchildrenpopbubblewrap,don't
they?And,laterinlife,alladultsprobablypopbubblewraptorememberwhatitwasliketobe
achild.Shethinksthismustbeauniversaljoy:Thejoyofpoppingbubbles.Doeseveryonefeel
whatshefeels?Rememberwhatsheremembers?

2013 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Intertwining Memories

ThestairsDebrausedtoslidedownwhennoonewaslookingthey'vebecomeahazardto
Nananow.Deblooksupthestairsandimaginesherselfattheageof5,slidingdowntherailing
asifshewereinvincible.Backthen,shethoughtshecouldneverbehurt.

SheputsherselfinNana'sshoesforamoment.Imagineswhatitwouldfeelliketostandatthe
bottomofthesestairsandwatchasmallchildslidingdownthebannister.Armsoutstretched,
holdingontonothing.Noconceptoffear.

Ashiverpassesthroughher.Shefeelsshortofbreath.Itmusthavebeensofrighteningtolook
upandseea5yearoldplayingonthestairssocarelessly.

Debracloseshereyes.Shecanfeelitallnow.Shefeelsthesensationofflyingdownthestairs.

Then,thetimemachinecomesback.Hermemoriesmixwiththepresentday.Whatitfeltlike
toslidedowntherailingistemperedbycurrentwisdom.That'snotsafe!Ifonlysheknewback
thenwhatsheknowsnow!Thatwassuchafoolishgametoplay.Nothingbutluckstoppedher
frombreakingbones.

Fifteenyearsago,Nanastoodwhereshestandsnow.Theirroleswerereversed.

IwishIhadbeenheretohelpyouwhenyoufell,Nana,Debrasaysoutloudtoherself.You
werealwaysthereforme,tostopmefromgettinghurt.Butnow,youaretheonewhoended
upneedingme.

DebrawalksintothelivingroomwhereNanahadbeensleeping.Thecouchisstillmadeuplike
abed,withfluffypillowsandaprettyfloralcomforter.Thefurnitureisbeingremovedby
movers,butthecouchwillbethelastthingtheypack.

Debwalksovertothefireplace,coldandempty.Whenshetouchesthemarblemantle,sheis
shockedbyavery,veryoldmemory.Itcomesbacktoherallatonce.

Shewas3yearsold.SheremembersthatNanawasshouting.That'shot!That'sfire!

Andsomethinghotandbrightwasrainingdownonher.Somesortofsparks,sherecalls.Debrahad
crawledtooclosetothefireplace.Thisisoneofherearliestmemories:thespatterofburningwood,
theembersthatflewatherdress.Sheremembers,too,howherfatherscoopedherup,savingher.

2013 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Intertwining Memories

Thatwassoveryclose,sheremembershearingherfathersay.Tearswelledupinhiseyes.
Hewascryingforwhatcouldhavehappened,notwhatdidhappen.Shehadneverseenhimso
scared.

Yes,sheremembersitallvividlynow,touchingthesamefireplace.Howhadsheforgotten
aboutitupuntiljustthismoment?

Andthatwaswhenitallmadesensethephotoofherfatherinthehospital,eatingicecream.He
hadnthadhistonsilsremoved,asshedassumed.Hehadbeenburnedbythefireplace!Andthat's
whyhewascryingwhenherescuedherfromthefireplace.Hesavedherfrombeinghurt,too.

Thememoriesofthisoldhousearealsoherfather'smemories.They'reNana'smemories,and
everyoneelsewhohaseverwalkedthroughhere.Nowthemoverswillhavememoriesofthis
homeaswell.

Sherunsherhandalongthewallsandwondershowdifferenthermemoriesmustbefrom
someoneelse's,orhowsimilar.Everydayinherlifewasalsoadayinsomeoneelse'slife.Their
worldsintertwine.

Shetouchestherailingandremembersthefeelingofflying.Shesaysgoodbyetothisoldhome.

2013 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Questions: Intertwining Memories

Name: Date:

1. What is Debra doing throughout the story?

A eating ice cream in the hospital

B unpacking Nana Kays furniture
C imagining her life in the future
D recalling different memories

2. What is the setting of the story?

A Pine Bluffs
B Nana Kays old home
C a hospital
D Debras new home

3. Read the following sentences: I wish I had been here to help you when you fell,
Nana, Debra says out loud to herself. You were always there for me, to stop me from
getting hurt. But now, you are the one who ended up needing me.

Based on Debras statement, how does she most likely feel about Nana Kays fall?

A Debra feels guilty about not having been able to prevent Nana Kay from falling.
B Debra feels it was Nana Kays fault that she slipped and fell down.
C Debra feels indifferent about not having been able to prevent Nana Kay from falling.
D Debra feels horrified about not having been able to prevent Nana Kay from falling.

4. What makes Debra recall different memories from her life?

A a conversation she has with her dad

B a conversation she has with Nana Kay
C objects in Nana Kays home
D sounds in Nana Kays home

5. What is this story mainly about?

A the changes one experiences in old age

B Debras relationship with her family and her reflections on the nature of memory
C the dangers Debra and her family members have faced throughout their childhoods
D how roles reverse among different family members with the progression of time

2013 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Questions: Intertwining Memories

6. Read the following sentences: She runs her hand along the walls and wonders how
different her memories must be from someone else's, or how similar. Every day in her
life was also a day in someone else's life. Their worlds intertwine.

As used in the passage, what does the word intertwine most nearly mean?

A to connect closely
B to stay far apart
C to start conflict
D to grow quickly

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

After reminiscing about her childhood, her father, and Nana Kay, Debra _________
realizes that everyones different memories of Nanas house are intertwined.

A initially
B ultimately
C yet
D instead

8. What will Nana Kays new home at Pine Bluffs not have?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2013 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Questions: Intertwining Memories

9. What memory from her childhood comes rushing back to Debra as she stands by the
fireplace at the end of the story?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

10. Debra recalls being nearly burned by the fireplace when she was three years old.
She then concludes that her father was burned by the same fireplace. Why do these two
memories make Debra realize that memories intertwine?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2013 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.