Chapter 3
Damon, Jaden, their mothers, and Grandpa ate lunch together in the nursing home’s dining hall. Lunch was Moroccan stew with flatbread and peas. Damon had three servings.
Grandpa spent most of the meal picking at his stew with a faraway look on his face. When Martha and Damon’s mom got up to clear the table, Grandpa put down his fork and held out his hand toward Jaden.
“Give me that photo for a second,” he said to Jaden. Jaden pulled the photo out from his pocket and handed it to Grandpa. With one bony finger, Grandpa pointed at something in the photo. “See that scrap of paper Aaron is holding?”
Jaden looked at the photo and nodded. “What is it?” he asked.
“That’s the reason I never saw Aaron again,” Grandpa said. “We thought we would just have some fun. And it was fun — for a while.”
“What was fun, Grandpa?” Damon asked. “What is the paper?”
“That, Damon,” Grandpa said, “is a treasure map.”
Damon’s jaw dropped. Jaden leaned forward. “A real treasure map?” Jaden asked.
Grandpa scowled. He gave Jaden a long stare. As Martha and Damon’s mom sat down at the table again, Grandpa raised one long bent finger. He pointed at Jaden.
“I know that look,” Grandpa said, like he was accusing Jaden of something.
Jaden leaned back. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He trembled.
“That look is greed,” Grandpa said. His finger began to shake. “I saw that look once before. And now Aaron is gone.”
Suddenly Grandpa spun in his chair and faced Damon. His eyes were wild and muscles were tensed. “Don’t let that boy take you on a treasure hunt, Damon!” he said. “You hear me?!”
“Dad, please,” Damon’s mom said quietly. “Calm down.”
Grandpa ignored her. He stood up and took Jaden by the wrist. “It was the demon,” he said. “The demon killed Aaron!”
An orderly wearing a white uniform got up from his seat in the corner. He quickly moved for their table.
“Don’t go after that treasure!” Grandpa cried out. The orderly took him by the arm. “If you go after that treasure, someone will die!”
The orderly gently pulled Grandpa out of the dining hall. Another orderly walked up to the table. “Don’t let it upset you,” he said with a smile. “The first few days here are always hard, but folks adjust.” He glanced down at Damon. “Your grandpa will be just fine, I promise.”
The orderly turned to Damon’s mom, and added, “You should let your father get some rest for now.”
* * *
“I wish you two hadn’t showed him that picture,” Damon’s mom said when they got into the car.
“We didn’t mean to upset him,” Damon said.
Martha patted Ms. Germain’s hand. “You heard the orderly,” she said. “Adjusting to a new home at that age must be difficult. I’m sure he’s just stressed.”
Damon’s mom sighed. “You’re right,” she said. “It’s not your fault, Damon. Or yours, Jaden.”
Damon looked out the window as the car drove down the long driveway. “I didn’t know he had a friend who went missing,” he said.
“I didn’t either,” his mother said. “It’s funny that he’s never mentioned him before. He was obviously very important to him.”
“Yeah,” Jaden said. “And the treasure was obviously important to his friend, Aaron.”
Damon glanced at Jaden. A wide smirk ran across Jaden’s face.