[TWWM] Zen Origin Story

"Dustin! You've gotten so tall!" the old woman was a bit hunched, draped with multiple scarves and shawls, holding a twisted cane in her hand. She reached out and hugged the boy, much tighter than one would expect.
"Ha ha!" Dustin laughed as he squeezed her back. "You saw me two weeks ago Gran!"
"Then you must be growing super fast!" she shot back, chuckling warmly. "So, how old are you now, you old man? I'll have to get you a cane like this soon if you don't slow down!" she waved the cane a bit.
"You're silly Gran, I'm only seven!" he laughed, leading  her to the couch. His cousins and aunts and uncles sat around, laughing and sharing the cake. "Want some cake?" he asked as she nestled in.
"Oh heavens no, unless its chocolate..." she closed one eye, leaning close, "chocolate is my only weakness" she whispered, sounding like a funny old pirate.
Dusty laughed. "It IS chocolate!"
Granma clutched her sides in mock terror, "OH, OH NO... I suppose theres no escape then. Bring me a corner piece if you must!"
Dusty skipped out of the room. He loved birthdays, and his grandma was one of his favorite people in the world. She was so silly and fun. He carefully cut off a corner piece and brought it to her. She pretended to be afraid of it. "Now that thats settled, you have to open my gift!" She pulled it out from within her piles of shawls. It was a medium sized box, Dusty wondered how she'd hidden it in there. Grandma magic she would say. His eyes lit up. The wrapping paper was blue and shiny. He tore into it eagerly. Opening it, there was another box inside. He pulled it out.

"Pet Rock" he read carefully, he glanced at Gran, who gave him an eager nod. "What is a pet rock?" he whispered, curious. Opening it up carefully, he peered inside.

Inside the box, atop a carefully wrapped nest of paper confetti strands, sat a single...grey...rock. It had two googly eyes superglued to its surface. It peered up out of the dark box at him. His mother made a funny noise. 'Oh goodness, he's not going to like it.' she thought, she knew some kids thought they were silly, or childish. Its just a rock after all...'. The room held its breath.

Dusty lowered the box onto the table and reached inside, carefully lifting the smooth stone. It was cold to the touch, smooth and egg shaped.

"I....I love it!! Thank you Gran! Look how cute he is!!" he exclaimed excitedly. He jiggled it gently, watching gleefully as the eyes bobbled back and forth.

Grandma chuckled. "I thought you might! You've always liked the fun little trinkets to carry around, i figured you might want one to ... tell stories to..." she whispered that last bit, acting suspicious again. "You know Dustin...if you believe hard enough...they'll come to life!"

He stared at her, unsure wether to believe her or not. "Oh Gran, you're so silly! I love it!"

She laughed, glad her gift was a success.

He twisted a bit, reaching for his pocket. "Look! It fits right in my favorite shorts too!" The rock slipped easily into the pocket, causing his pants to sag a bit to one side. He put his hands on his hips, making a funny pose. "Now I'm ready for adventure eh?" Everyone laughed, he grinned from ear to ear. "Its a keeper!"

Grandma laughed, "What does that mean?"
"Well some rocks are boring, but this one is awesome. I'm gonna keep it forever. So its a keeper!"
Everyone laughed again. Grandma sneakily asked for another slice of cake, and Dusty smiled as he felt the weight of his new friend thump against his leg as he trotted back into the living room.