My grandpa and I were very close even though he lived in
Kansas and I lived in Illinois. He didn't care that I am
deaf and used body movements and my skills of reading his
lips.
We drove down to Nebraska to visit dying grandpa in
veteran hospital-he knew it was grandma's birthday so he made
my grandma to go out for dinner with my parents and me. I
sulked because I wanted to stay with grandpa, but he talked me
into going with her to make sure she'd have nice time.
During eating at a good restaurant, I saw my grandpa's face
showing up in bowl of soup. I looked up, telling mom that
we have to go now. Shivers went up my arms and I just knew
that it was very urgent to go back.
My grandma smiled saying that Grandpa is fine and that the hospital would call the restaurant
if anything happens. I was getting restless so my parents gave up, deciding to go back to hospital. I was impatient
with the elevator going so slow up to 3rd floor. The moment the elevator door opened, I rushed into the hall. My eyes darted to the first door on right, my heart sank, the nurses and doctors were running into my grandpa's room with
machines. We walked into the room, seeing grandpa's shallow breath and irregular lines on the machines. His
eyes looked into mine, as if he was saying thanks. My
grandma got his full attention for a minute then he started to fade. The nurse smoothed his white hair, as if to
tell him its all right. I was stunned that grandpa died for real after all those years.
A couple of hours later when we all were in bed, I woke up
and decided to go to kitchen to get a drink. I was startled to see a white light on the seat of grandpa's
favorite old chair. Feeling nervous, yet somehow I felt that its ok to have a closer look. My grandpa! He smiled,
using sign language to communicate with me "I love you" I was stunned, because he never learnt a lot of sign language, not
enough to ever make a sentence. I said I love you in sign back. The light was fading and before he faded away, he pointed toward the grandpa clock. The tears swelled in my eyes, watching him disappear fast, I smiled at the grandpa clock. We
used to wait till the hand hit every hour, my grandpa would teach me to feel the grandpa clock's vibrations as it
binged. Plus it also brought back another special memory. My grandpa had told my mom to leave me be, not making me wear a hearing aid after he saw that my mom made me wear a hearing aid ended in tears. That meant that he accepted that I am deaf :o)
Contact me here: silent_evil@hotmail.com
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