she thanks you

"Oh, Sir, thank you so much!" She rubs her ankle and you see it is red and chafed. You recall from your Boy Scout years some woods lore. You cast your eyes around the clearing. There! Some Fiddlehead ferns. You stand and tug one from the soft damp earth. Returning to the girl you crush the stem and gently rub the milky juice on her injury.

As you glance up at her face she is looking at you with wonder. Then she blushes and lowers her slanted eyes. "Um. Miss...I don't know what to call you." You want to ask her some things but a name would be good.

"I am called Argentia," she replies quietly.
"My name is Chuck," you hold out your hand. She looks from it to your face and back. She seems not to know what to do. You take her small hand in yours and shake it. She giggles. "It's a handshake. What people do when they meet, you know?" You begin to think she's retarded or something.
"Oh. Well, I don't know many...people."
"I guess not. Do you live around here?"
"Yes. My family owns this forest." Now you know she's either lying or is just dim-witted. This is a National Forest, owned and managed by the government.

A bird sounds off in the trees and Argentia jumps to her feet. She cries out and her leg promptly collapses under her. You barely catch her clumsily. Your right hand is now full of her small left tit. "I must go!" She pulls away, blushingbrightly again. Your face matches hers, because you certainly didn't mean to grab her breast.
"Let me help you. Where do you need to go?"
"Oh, I can't...I mean you shouldn't...It's against the rules!" She finishes lamely.

You shake your head and finally convince her she won't be going anywhere without help. You pick her up and start down the path she indicates. She is almost weightless. As you look into her face from time to time, you realize that she is no 'girl'. She is older than she looked at first. "Argentia," you begin, "How old are you?"

She is drowsy, for she barely opens her eyes when she replies, "Only 97." Then her eyes snap open, for you have stopped dead in your tracks.

"Uh-huh! And do you have any grandchildren?" Your eyebrow is arched in disbelief.

"Oh, Mother! It gets worse and worse!" She starts to weep and hides her face in your shirt. You set her on a log and sit beside her. "I guess I have to explain."