A Story About Grandma and the Cellphone

Once upon a time, five-year-old Kate was spending the summer at her strict yet loving 65-year-old grandmother Jeanie's house. Jeanie had certain strong beliefs about what was and wasn't appropriate, particularly when it came to cellphones. She took Kate's phone from her, shaking her head as she said, "Sorry Kate. You know the rules. No phones while you're with grandma." Soon, Jeanie had left her quiet house for her weekly shopping trip and to pick up her prescriptions from the pharmacy. With her grandmother gone, Kate couldn't resist the urge to sneak inside Jeanie's room. She crinkled her nose as she looked at her grandma's old lady clothes, jewelry, and shoes. They were the stereotypes of what a granny should be wearing. However, the young girl spotted something unexpected: a photograph of Jeanie in her vibrant 20s. "Grandma? Wow! She was so pretty!" Kate exclaimed, genuinely surprised. As she looked around the room, she spotted her confiscated phone on the top shelf of the closet. Naturally, she went straight for it. Attempting to reach it, Kate climbed up the high shelves. Suddenly, she lost her balance, an event set in motion by the bulky purse Jeanie had left behind landing abruptly on her tiny shoulder. As Kate fell, her feet got caught in a pair of Jeanie's strap-on sandals. "No! I don't wanna become grandma! I just wanted to play on my phone!" the little girl hollered as she tried to remove the shoes and shake the purse off her arm. However, the strangest thing started to occur - Kate’s tender skin began to wrinkle. Her feet looked exactly like Jeanie’s, and she started to change drastically. Her clothes disappeared, replaced by age spots, wrinkles, and old lady figurines. Her frame got taller and her legs morphed into her grandmother's, her arms weren't far behind. A mirror in front of her showcased a frightful transformation. Just as the metamorphosis seemed complete, Kate's thoughts began to overwhelm her, questioning how to reverse this process. She craved the familiar screen of her phone and hoped that it might hold a solution. But her hopes were dashed. As she desperately tried to unlock the phone, she realized she didn't remember what her passcode was. The exact feeling of holding a smartphone felt foreign to her. And then, she didn't even remember why she had the phone in the first place. Even her own memories of her young life started to fade away. Soon, Kate was Jeanie, a woman in her sixties, slightly flustered and confused. "Oh my goodness. What in the world am I doing holding my granddaughter's cell phone?" Jeanie murmured, realising she had lost track of time. "I should be out shopping right now and for crying out loud, I bet the line at the pharmacy is getting longer by the minute. Come on Jeanie, you've been on this earth far too long to be so careless with your time." Upon spotting the picture, she gazed fondly at her younger self, "Oh my Lord! I still remember when this photo was taken. It must've been 1982— I must've been 24 here. I was so beautiful then." Jeanie’s gaze then met her own reflection in the mirror. Her eyes travelled over the familiar lines, curves, and the carefully chosen outfit. "What I wouldn't do to be young like my granddaughter right about now. Being 65 years old ain't a hoot, I'll tell ya that," Jeanie sighed. Fully settled back in her reality, Jeanie finally retrieved her car keys from the purse and gently put her reading glasses on. There were still errands to run and tasks to complete before her day was done. She momentarily wondered where Kate had gone, but the thought slipped her mind as the door shut firmly behind her.