Maria's Memory Box

Maria loved visiting her Grandpa's house. It smelled like old books and lemon polish, and every corner held a treasure. Maria's favourite thing to do was help. On this sunny afternoon, she was carefully watering the ferns on the verandah, making sure each leafy frond got a little drink. "You're a great helper, Maria," Grandpa said, smiling from his comfy chair.

As she reached for the last fern, her elbow bumped a small wooden box on a side table. It tumbled onto the floor with a soft thud, and dozens of faded, black-and-white photos spilled out like secrets. "Whoops!" cried Maria. Grandpa chuckled. "Don't you worry. You've just found my memory box!"

Wanting to help, Maria gathered the scattered photos. But they were all mixed up! A lady in a big hat, a baby in a bathtub, a boy holding a fish. "I'll fix it!" Maria said, trying to sort them. But she didn't know who anyone was. "Grandpa, who is this funny man?" she asked. Grandpa squinted at the photo. "Oh, my. I'm not sure I remember." A wave of frustration washed over Maria; her helping wasn't working.

Then, Maria had a wonderful idea. Instead of sorting all of them, she picked up just one photo of a little boy with a cheeky grin holding a tiny puppy. "Let's just start with this one," she said brightly. "Tell me everything!" Grandpa's face lit up. "That's me! And that's my dog, Scamp!" He told a funny story about Scamp, and Maria giggled. Then she picked up another. "Now this one!" she prompted. One by one, each photo unlocked a story.

Soon, the floor was covered not with a mess, but with neat little piles of memories. They had the 'silly hat' pile, the 'beach holiday' pile, and the 'cheeky Scamp' pile. Maria realised that helping wasn't just about being neat; it was about listening and sharing. She gave her Grandpa a big hug. "Thanks for sharing your memories, Grandpa." He hugged her back tightly. "Thank you, my little helper, for helping me find them again."