For the rest of that day and most of the next day, the kids washed the neighbors’ cars just as
Grandpa had shown them. They washed new cars, older cars, cars that were just a bit dirty, and
cars that were really pretty filthy. One of the cars even had ‘Please wash me!’ written in the dust on
the windscreen!
When they had finished, the kids were exhausted. They lay down on the wall in front of their
house. They ate all the sandwiches Mom had prepared for them.
“Let’s count the lettuce,” said Grandpa.
They all laughed. Bella counted out sixty dollars.
“OK, let’s take this to your mom and dad,” she said.
Bella, Finn and Grandpa waited in the yard. Alex explained to his parents what had happened.
Then, he handed over the money to pay for the accidental phone call. From a distance, they
watched Alex’s parents’ faces change. First, they were worried. Then, they were surprised. Finally,
their expressions showed pure pride and happiness, and they hugged Alex.
Back at the house, Mom showed them an old photo from one of her albums. “This is Grandpa,”
she said. “Remember this, Dad?”
In the photo, a young Grandpa was cleaning a car. He had long hair and was wearing a
bandana and overalls.
“Hey, you look sick, Grandpa.” said Finn.
“No, I was really healthy!” said Grandpa. “That was my first job and I loved it. I got lots of
exercise and I met a lot of nice people—just like today.” Finn
smacked his forehead. “Sorry, Grandpa! Sick means
really good, like awesome!”
“Yeah, I was an awesome dude, really far
out. Can you dig it, man?” Grandpa said.
When the kids looked puzzled,
Grandpa laughed.
“That’s the way we spoke in
those days,” he said. And Grandpa
taught them how to say dude, far out
and dig it just as he had.
Then Finn, Bella and Alex
taught Grandpa five new ’shakes, as
they called them. It was the perfect
end to a really sick day!
77Finn Tells a Story in Street Slang
