The Hockey Rink Hunt

If there was one thing the Walker twins, Zach and Zoe, loved almost as much as a mystery, it was a surprise. And suddenly, their afternoon was about to be full of them.

First, their Grandpa Richie showed up unexpectedly at their house after they got home from Middletown Elementary.

Zach and Zoe had known Grandpa Richie was coming over for dinner, but usually he didn’t show up until later in the evening. He lived in their neighborhood, and often walked from his house to Zach and Zoe’s.

When Zoe asked why he was early today, her grandfather gave her a wink.

“I heard there might be something interesting brewin’ at your house today,” he said.

“Like what?” Zach said, furrowing his brow.

“Well, how about a game of two-on-two basketball for starters?” Grandpa Richie said.

“There’s only three of us here,” Zoe pointed out, “unless you can convince Mom to play. But she’s already inside getting dinner started.”

Now Grandpa Richie raised his eyebrows and grinned. It seemed like he was hiding something from them. As if he knew something the twins didn’t.

“Are you two sure there are only three of us?” he said.

“Grandpa,” Zoe said, “you’re acting mysterious.”

“And who better to do that with than my grandchildren?” he said.

“Okay,” said Zach, “what do you know that we don’t?”

“A lot!” Grandpa Richie said, and they all laughed. “Don’t I always tell you that with age comes wisdom?”

“All the time,” Zoe said. “Now please tell us the wisdom you’re holding back from us right now.”

“It’s more of a surprise than a mystery,” he said, looking down at his watch. “A surprise that I believe should be pulling into your driveway any minute now.”

It actually took about five more minutes. But then their dad’s car pulled up to the house. He’d come home early from his job at the television station, which was unusual.

Zoe and her brother ran to the driver’s side door to greet their dad. “What are you doing here?” Zoe asked, now more confused than ever.

“Well,” Danny Walker said, “I heard a rumor that my kids and their grandfather might need a fourth for a game of two-on-two.”

Now he was the one winking, at Grandpa Richie.

“What I meant to say,” Danny said, “is that I heard there might be a game brewin’ here today.”
The twins looked at each other, puzzled. There was that word again: brewin’. But all they really cared about in that moment was the game they were about to play in their driveway.

“So you and Grandpa Richie showing up for a game is our surprise?” Zach asked.

“It’s a surprise,” his dad said. “Just not the best one you might get today.”

“But the next surprise is one the two of you are going to have to earn,” Grandpa Richie added.

“Tell us how,” Zoe said. “You know Zach and I love challenges, too.”

“You have to win the game we’re about to play to find out more” Grandpa Richie said. “The two of you against your dad and me.”

The twins’ smiles turned into frowns at the exact same time.

“Wait a second!” Zach said. “Those sides aren’t fair. We never play grownups versus twins.”

Danny Walker looked at Grandpa Richie now, as if he was the one who was confused.

“Not fair?” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“I heard the same thing you did,” Grandpa Richie said.
“But seems to me that one of the guys on our team is an old man.”

“You’re not old!” the twins said together. It was something they often said to their grandfather, usually in one voice.

“I don’t see any problem with the teams,” Danny Walker said.

“We may be younger,” Zoe said. “But you two are bigger.”

Now the twins saw a big smile appear on their dad’s face. Their mom, Tess, called it his Christmas morning smile. He looked as young and happy as his eight-year old twins.

“Glad you brought that up, Zoe,” he said. “What am I always telling you and your brother about sports and size?”

Zoe looked at Zach. He looked at her. They smiled because they both knew what their dad was thinking. It was just like in school when their teachers called on them, and they knew the right answer.

“It’s not the size of the player that matters,” Zoe started.

“It’s the size of their talent,” Zach continued for her.

“And the size of their heart,” Zoe finished.

“That’s what I always told your dad,” Grandpa Richie said, “back when he was a boy. He was the smallest one in just about every basketball game he ever played.”

“So,” Danny Walker said, “how about one of you grabs the basketball in the garage and we get this party started?”

While Zach ran to get the ball, Zoe turned to their dad.

“You still haven’t told us what we’d win,” she said.

“First, let’s see if you can win,” said Danny.

He hurried inside to change into his sneakers. Grandpa Richie already had his on. The twins couldn’t remember a time when their grandpa wasn’t wearing sneakers. He had been a basketball star once, and made it all the way to the NBA before getting injured. His son, the twins’ father, had also played in the NBA. Grandpa Richie loved telling his grandchildren that in his heart, he was still the basketball boy in the pictures they loved going through.

They all decided it would be a game of ten baskets. Zach guarded his dad. Zoe guarded Grandpa Richie. As usual when it was the four of them in the driveway like this, there was a lot of good passing. The twins had been taught by both their father and grandfather that everything in basketball began with a good pass.

They were also told that if you played hard and had fun, you couldn’t lose. Not really. But the twins didn’t want to lose this particular game, because there was some kind of prize waiting for them if they won. They didn’t know exactly what it was, but they couldn’t wait to find out.

Grandpa Richie and Danny Walker were playing their hardest, and still having a ton of fun. But even though they were bigger, the twins were faster. Zoe went flying past Grandpa Richie for an easy layup during one play. He bent over to put his hands on his knees and laughed. “Slow down!” he said.

Zoe laughed, too.

“Now that’s something neither of you ever taught us to do,” Zoe said.

Slightly out of breath, Grandpa Richie said to Danny, “Where’d they get those moves?”

“Well, I’d like to say they got ’em from us,” Danny Walker said. “But I’m seeing moves from both of them today that I don’t even recognize.”

Finally the game was tied at 9–9. Zach was on the outside, dribbling the ball. But as he looked over at his sister, he gave her the slightest nod of his head. Zoe knew what he wanted her to do. They read each other’s minds a lot. It was like they were sharing the same brain.

Zoe faked to the outside, toward Zach. When Grandpa Richie fell for the fake, thinking he might steal a pass, Zoe immediately cut for the basket. Zach threw a perfect bounce pass to his sister who caught it in stride. Then Zoe made the layup that won them the game.

Zach ran for his sister, so they could do their favorite Zach-and-Zoe celebration: the special high-five they invented. They jumped and spun around and bumped hips and elbows, as if it were a dance routine only they knew.

When they were finished, Zoe looked at their dad, hands on her hips.

“Okay,” she said, “now that we’ve won, you have to tell us what we’ve won.”

“Yeah,” said Zach. “What’s the surprise?”

Danny turned to face the twins. “Actually, there are two surprises. Dad, why don’t you tell them the first one?” he said, turning to Grandpa Richie.

Grandpa Richie’s eyes twinkled as he smiled at his grandkids, sensing their excitement.

“Okay, here it goes. Your parents are taking you to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals in Boston two nights from now.”

“No way!” Zoe shouted.

“Way,” their grandfather said.

“But before we go to the game,” Danny cut in, “I have to interview a bunch of players at the Bruins’ practice tomorrow. I’ve arranged for you both to come with me into the locker room.”

“No way!” Zoe said again. “We hardly ever get to go with you when you’re working.”

“Hey,” Danny Walker said, “the two of you earned it.”

“Told you something was brewin’,” Grandpa Richie said to the Walker twins. “Just didn’t tell you it was the Boston Bruins.”