Grandfather's notebook, things he wrote to Oskar : "I don't speak, I'm sorry." "My name is Thomas." "I'm still sorry."
Flashback
Grandpa getting off the plane. The customs agents ask him questions-> can't verbally answer them.
They also wonder why he's lugging around a suitcase full of papers. letters to his dead son, which he couldn't deliver. Since he can't speak, he tries to communicate with grandma by pushing the buttons on the phone. He writes out about 4,000 numbers.
World Trade Center was attacked. Lost everything for the second time.
newspaper -> finds an obituary for the son he never got to meet. It's that day Grandpa goes to Grandma's apartment with a piece of paper that says "I'm sorry" and she lets him back into her life.
Later, Grandpa asks if he can see Oskar, but Grandma says no.
He watches Oskar anyway, through the keyhole in his bedroom door.
Grandpa says that Thomas found him once, pretending to be a journalist, but he didn't tell his father who he was, or vice versa.
When Oskar starts his search, Grandpa follows him, ends up talking to one of the ⚫️s on Staten Island who tells Grandpa that she just got off the phone with Oskar's mother.
During writing, Grandpa's letters are getting closer and closer together on the page.
Mr. ⚫️ confronted him outside the Empire State Building, wondering why he'd been following them around. that's why Mr. Black quit the search, end flashback.
Oskar throws pebbles at the window, meets Grandpa outside, his idea to dig up the grave.
Chapter 15
The day after Oskar and the renter dig up Dad's grave, Oskar goes to Mr. ⚫️ to tell him about it. But Mr. ⚫️ doesn't live there anymore. That evening, he notices a message on the phone: it's from Abby ⚫️ (the 2nd ⚫️) saying that she kind of lied to Oskar she can help him with the key. Oskar takes the subway to her apartment and she tells him that she left the message a long time ago, immediately after he left. Oskar hadn't heard it, he's scared of the phone.
Her husband can explain everything. Oskar asks why the message cut off in the middle. She explains that Oskar's mom answered, and Abby told her the whole story. Oskar goes to Abby's husband's office. William ⚫️ tells Oskar that his own dad died, and the key goes to his safe-deposit box. William sold the vase to Oskar's Dad as part of the estate sale.
William spent a lot of time looking for Oskar's Dad. Oskar decides not to go with William to open the box, that would be too confusing. he tells William something he'd never told anyone before: his Dad called while Oskar was home, but Oskar was too scared.
His Dad asked "are you there" eleven times. people in the background screaming and crying.
The message cuts off at 10:24, the same time when the building came down.
the renter gives him a letter. It's from Stephen Hawking. He thanks Oskar for all his letters and invites him to spend time with him in Cambridge for a few days.
Chapter 16
Grandma remembers the day her dad died, trapped under a ceiling… but she can't remember his last words. Grandma writes a note and tapes it to the window. She follows Grandpa to the international terminal of the airport.
He tells her that they dug up the grave, and he buried all the letters he wrote, along with the key to her apartment.
She suggests they stay at the airport forever "Not coming or going. Not something or nothing" (16.186-16.187)
She remembers the last night she spent with her sister. She regrets never telling Anna how much she loved her. it was unnecessary, there would be another night.
But she tells Oskar that it's always necessary. She tells Oskar she loves him.
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