Thursday night
The salt lake air was warm. We stopped by nielson's to get a scoop of custard in our cups. Laughing. Under the illuminated sign, there we sat. The benches outside the little store held memories. Memories from now and from the past. Memories that came slow then memories that came fast. Summertime. Everything seemed to go right that summer we were on the road to fame, packing our bags with all we had, while cameras followed, we led the way.
Thurdsay night, lost in memories as we shuffled in the car abandoning our little bench once again outside nielson's custard shop. It wasn't her car but she drove us to a place that was undisclosed. "Close your eyes" car turning. I kept my eyes open, there we pulled into a dark Salt Lake parking lot. "Follow me" Jumping out, the 5 of us walked into the building and into the elevator. A care center, a hospital, it was for the elderly, that's all I knew. She said her grandma was dying, heartbroken since words of her husband dying as well. We exited the elevator and walked over to the hallway outside the room where her grandparents remained. Family greeted us, wet eyes, planning. Planning a funeral that would be coming up, they all knew.
She told me that her grandma would be gone before the morning, and her grandpa at the end of the week. I couldn't believe she would let us experience this with her. Sympathy. I didn't even know her grandparents were sick. Her mother gave us hugs an thanked us for coming. Her father told their family about us. He shared stories about our adventure at the cabin and our plane trips in the sky. We went through a lot together.
I was afraid to see her grandparents. Not knowing what to expect. She told me their love story. They met in high school, he went to war and she wrote him everyday, they were madly in love with each other. Her health was good, when her husband made the decision to stop dialysis her heart broke. She told the mother she didn't want to live without him. She loves him, the kind of love only humans will understand.
The door opened and the five of us shuffled in with her parents behind us. There were the two of them on white hospital beds. The grandma was making death rattles. And with that I knew that she would be gone soon. My friend made a little joke about her grandma sounding like a humidifier. Her mother smiled long enough for her to know that everything was going to be okay. They could still be light hearted in the hardest situations. Love. The feeling of love was overflowing into my mind. The family was amazing, they were the kindest most accepting family I have ever seen. Each member there were examples to me.
As we left the care center tears filled my eyes. Life is amazing. I learned so much just by sitting in her grandparents room.
I wish to have a love like her grandparents.
I wish to be more grateful for my life, and that I can live it right now.
I don't want to look back and have regrets.
Friday morning.
On my drive to school I thought about her grandma, and how she was doing.
As I was thinking about her I received a text:
"Hey thanks for coming to my grandma's last night. That meant a lot to me. She died about an hour ago, and I'm really grateful for friends like you who would just go into a random care center and see a creepy dying old woman. Love you"
I am not a robot. For they can't truly feel.
Sincerely, Paislee Jane
