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Cynthia “Say-So” Sower
Cynthia’s grandfather, Cinder, used to own a liquor store next to her apartment complex. But in the present in “Ookabooka Land,” Cinder lives with Cynthia’s mom and Cynthia and doesn’t work anymore, as he’s losing his memory. His memory started to go in the year after he lost the liquor store, which happened not long after his girlfriend Miss Fran died. He and Cynthia have always been close; he took Cynthia under his wing when she was just a baby and taught her everything he knew about comedy—he used to give performances at the liquor store on overturned crates, and he believes that absolutely everything can be funny. To commemorate his impromptu performances, the park that was built where his liquor store used to be includes a crate-sized “stage,” which is labeled “Cinder’s Block.” He spends his days scribbling words and bits of jokes on pieces of notebook paper, which he wads up and throws around his bedroom. Cynthia regularly brings him “giggles” (cigarette butts that remind him of Miss Fran) and letters. In the letters, Cynthia writes her own jokes—and due to his failing memory, Cinder believes he wrote the jokes and suggests them to Cynthia.
Cinder/Cynthia’s Grandfather Quotes in Look Both Ways
The Look Both Ways quotes below are all either spoken by Cinder/Cynthia’s Grandfather or refer to Cinder/Cynthia’s Grandfather. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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1. Water Booger Bears Quotes
There was a hole in the screen door that had been there for years. TJ’s foot had done that. He said sometimes his feet get mad and do things like kick or stomp or run. Don’t blame him, he’d say. And Jasmine would laugh because his jokes were always funny even though she knew they were almost never jokes.
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8. Ookabooka Land Quotes
That’s all Say-So ever wanted. A love thing with her mother, the way her grandfather had with Miss Fran—through laughter. And since her mother was too busy to break, well then, anyone would have to do. A smile is a smile. A ha is a ha. So every day she’d rattle off her jokes at the end of class, bathing in her classmates’ crack-ups.
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“What would happen if a school bus fell from the sky?”
Cynthia thought for a second, a smile creeping onto her lips. “I mean…is it coming from Ookabooka Land?”
Silence.
Just that thought between them. Cynthia looking at her grandfather, her Cinderella, her cinder block. The man who taught her to perform. Taught her that life is funny most of the time, and the times it ain’t funny are even funnier. And there ain’t no forgetting that.
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Cinder/Cynthia’s Grandfather Character Timeline in Look Both Ways
The timeline below shows where the character Cinder/Cynthia’s Grandfather appears in Look Both Ways. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
8. Ookabooka Land
...though Cynthia’s mom is too busy to save Cynthia, or even laugh at Cynthia’s jokes. Cynthia’s grandfather , on the other hand, is her superhero. Cynthia believes he’s incredible. Most people think...
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Cynthia is named for her grandfather, whose name is Cinder. He’d always say he’s Cinder as in “cinder block,” not like Cinderella. But really, he...
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Cinder’s girlfriend, Miss Fran, was a mail lady. She’d always stop by his store in the...
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Not long after Miss Fran’s death, Cinder closed his liquor store. Soon after, the city knocked the store down and the apartment...
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Not long after that, Cynthia and Cynthia’s mom moved in with Cinder. Cynthia and her mom technically share a bedroom, but Cynthia sleeps on the couch because...
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...flyers handwritten on notebook paper. They state that Cynthia is giving a live show on Cinder’s Block at 3:33 p.m. Finally, Cynthia heads down the hall herself, stops at her locker,...
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...way home is to go through it. She’s also on the lookout for “giggles” for Cinder. Giggles are cigarette butts, and Cinder collects them. People always smoke as they walk through...
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...to stare and make it weird. Cynthia only has seven minutes to make it to Cinder’s Block, hopefully with a giggle for Cinder—and she finally fines one smeared with lipstick on...
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...small girl playing happily on the swings, but nobody else. It’s 3:31. Cynthia sits on Cinder’s Block and pops her back. Sleeping on the couch is making her feel old. Giggling,...
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...if for some reason she decides to take a day off, Cynthia will be on Cinder’s Block, waiting to make her hero smile just like Cinder taught her to. But Cynthia’s...
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Once Cynthia gets into her apartment, she knocks on Cinder’s door and says she got mail. He doesn’t answer, so concerned, Cynthia opens the door....
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Cinder asks if Cynthia told the shirt joke today. Cynthia says it was great; her teacher...
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As Cynthia heads back for the door, she asks what other joke Cinder was mentioning working on. Cinder asks what would happen if a school bus fell from...
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