Nat: There is a way, Malcolm. We get our friends to roll their sleeves up and get to work.
Grandpa: It&`&s certainly a good idea. If I could take a look at the place, I could probably tell what it
requires to fix it up. How much paint, how many hours of work...
Nat: That&`&s what I came to ask you to do, Malcolm.If you would supervise the refurbishing, I&`&ll find the people to help do it.
Robbie: I&`&ll help too, Mr.Baker. I can get some of my friends to go around the neighborhood and collect the furniture we need.
Alexandra: I&`&ll help.
Grandpa: Tomorrow. Yes. We&`&ll meet tomorrow morning, right here.
Robbie: Can we help?
Alexandra: I&`&d really like to.
Grandpa: Sure.
Nat: We might need you to come through with your friends, Robbie. Not just to go around the neighborhood asking for furniture, but to help with the paint job. That&`&s backbreaking work and may be too much for us.
Robbie: I&`&ll do it. I&`&ll talk to them.
Alexandra: And tomorrow morning we&`&ll all meet here to discuss the plan?
Grandpa: Come in, come in. Please, come in.
Nat: I&`&d like you to meet my friend Malcolm Stewart. Malcolm, this Joanne Thompson
Grandpa: Hello, Joanne. Nice to meet you.
Joanne: My pleasure, Malcolm.
Nat: And this is Abe Lucas. You must remember Abe. He ran the drugstore and used to play drums with the jazz band on weekends.
Grandpa: Oh, sure I do. Hi, Abe.
Abe: Hello, Mr. Stewart.
Grandpa: Malcolm, please.
Abe: Hello, Malcolm.
Grandpa: Sit down, sit down. Have some coffee. And I&`&ve got some delicious Danish pastry for you.
Nat: Where&`&s your grandson Robbie and his friend Alexandra? Weren&`&t they going to be here this morning?
Grandpa: I thought so, too. I&`&m surprised they&`&re not here. Robbie left early this morning to meet
Alexandra. Frankly, I thought they&`&d be here, but...
Nat: It&`&s OK. I&`&m sure they meant well, but they probably had other things on their minds.
Joanne: I understand you used to be in the construction business, Malcolm.
Grandpa: I was, indeed.
Joanne: I wonder if you would take a look at the old library and make sure that it is in good condition so that we don&`&t have to worry about any structural problems.
Grandpa: When can I do that? I&`&d be happy to.
Abe: We&`&ve got permission to go inside the old building during the week-Tuesday or Wednesday.
Grandpa: That&`&s fine with me. I can do it either day.
Joanne: That would be very helpful.
Nat: I think the building just needs a good cleaning.
Abe: And a good paint job.
Joanne: Then we have to furnish it.
Grandpa: I wish Robbie and Alexandra had come to this meeting. They had some ideas about getting the place fixed up.
Joanne: Perhaps they&`&ll show up. In the meantime, let me give you some additional thoughts and ideas I have.
Grandpa: OK.
Nat: Go ahead, Janne.
Janne: As I said, mostly the building just needs a good cleaning.
Nat: This place can be developed with one real intergenerational program.
Grandpa: That&`&s an idea I like. A community center with the kinds of programs that fit everyone.
Nat: And programs that don&`&t leave anyone out.
Joanne: It&`&s asking a lot. But we can&`&t do it without talking to the young people. Finding out what they want.
Grandpa: If only Robbie and Alexandra were here.
Nat: Don&`&t be upset, Malcolm. We&`&ll have a chance to talk to them later.
Grandpa: It&`&s not like Robbie. If he says he&`&s going to be here, he&`&s here. I wonder what the problem is.