- Carol M. Johnson
- P.O. Box 778
- Morganton, GA 30560
- (706) 374-6566
- davjohns@tds.net
Where’s Grandpa?
Mama told me that Grandpa died last night. Now I wonder who will drive the boat and take us on picnics? Who will take care of Grandma? Mama had tears in her eyes when she told me he died. That scared me. I don’t like it when Mama cries. I didn’t cry. Mama fixed breakfast real late, and I was hungry. We had cereal, but Mama forgot about toast.
We went to Grandpa’s house. Sugar met us and licked my face, but she didn’t stay to let me scratch her ears because she was in a hurry to sit at the window and wait for Grandpa. Sugar doesn’t understand that Grandpa isn’t coming back. Mama thought that was so sad.
Mama asked me to stay in the kitchen. There were lots of ladies in the kitchen, and I didn’t know a lot of them. They didn’t talk loud or laugh, but they were nice to me and smiled when they talked to me. They said they were sorry that Grandpa died. I didn’t know what to say. Mama went into the living room where Grandma, Aunt Mary and Aunt Sue were talking to Mr. Shelley, the man from the funeral home. After he left, Mama came to get me so I could say “hello” to Grandma.
Grandma looked tired, and her hair was messy. She smiled a little, hugged my head, but didn’t say anything to me. Then she just got up and walked back toward her bedroom. I guessed she was going to take a nap. She looked tired. I hoped she didn’t think I was in the way. I wanted to cry, but I swallowed hard and didn’t show it.
The ladies had brought lots of food for Grandma to eat. Mama said people like to do that when someone dies because it helps the dead person’s family. Grandma won’t have to cook for a long, long time. There was a big cake with chocolate icing. Mama seemed to feel better being with the ladies. I felt better, too.
Aunt Barb lives in New Mexico and came in an airplane. She helped us clean out Grandpa’s closet. He had lots and lots of suits all hanging in a row. When Aunt Barb took the first suit out of the closet, she got tears in her eyes. There was a droopy flower pinned on the jacket up near the shoulder. She looked at all the jackets, and there was a flower on almost every one of them. Then Mama got tears in her eyes. Aunt Sue said that Grandpa loved flowers and always wore a flower in his lapel. Mama said Grandpa was “dapper.” The flowers didn’t make me feel like crying, but it made me sad for Mama to feel so bad.
Mama told me that since Grandpa has died and gone to Heaven, he won’t need his suits anymore. She said that whatever he needs now, God and the angels would give him new. We packed up all of Grandpa’s suits into a big box. Mama said we would give them to someone else who needs them.
Mama said that Grandpa is proud of me for helping put the suits in the box. Mama told me that even though he has died and gone to Heaven, his spirit is still here and will always be with us. I don’t know what spirit is, but I like it that Grandpa is still proud of me. He always said he was proud of me.
Since Grandpa won’t need his car anymore and Grandma has a little car of her own, Uncle David is going to sell Grandpa’s. I like to ride in Grandpa’s car. He can put the top up or down, and on sunny days takes me for a ride with the top down. His car is shiny and blue. I think Grandpa will miss his car, but Mama said that if Grandpa needs a car now, God will give him what he needs in Heaven. I guess it is all right for Uncle David to sell the car, but I know I will miss riding in it with Grandpa.
Mama told me that when people die, they leave lots of things behind. Stuff like their cars and suits, and even their flower gardens. Mama said that a person also leaves his body behind when he dies. She said that since Grandpa died, he just doesn’t need his body anymore. God will give Grandpa a new body if he needs one to use in Heaven. Mama said that when Grandpa was alive, his body worked for him and was a house for his spirit. She said his body had done a very good job for most of the years Grandpa needed it. Aunt Mary said it served him well. I know that Grandpa had a very strong body because he worked hard in his flower garden, and he never complained that his back hurt or anything. It will be nice if God gives him a strong body in Heaven.
I heard Grandma call me from her bedroom. When I went into her room, she still looked tired and was sitting in her chair near the window. She patted her knee, and asked me to sit in her lap. I’m not a baby and didn’t want to cry, but I couldn’t stop it. Grandma held me tight, and we both cried as we rocked back and forth. She told me that crying when you are very sad, or even if you are very happy, is something that is good to do, and doesn’t mean that you are a baby. She said that lots of grownups cry, and it is good for them. We washed our faces, Grandma brushed her hair, and we both felt better.
Grandpa’s body is at Mr. Shelley’s funeral home. Mama said that all of Grandpa’s friends and family will get together there for a funeral, and I can go to the funeral if I want to. She said a funeral is when we will say prayers, talk about Grandpa, and be glad that he had such a good life and we were part of it. Grandma said that people will cry at the funeral, but they will not be crying because they feel sorry for Grandpa. People will cry because they will miss him. I know that Grandma and I will cry, and I know that we will miss him. After the funeral, his body will be buried in the Tall Oaks cemetery. Before he died, Grandpa told Grandma that he wanted his body buried in that cemetery. Grandpa’s parents are buried there, too.
On our way home, Mama smiled and said that Grandpa is enjoying a new adventure now. Grandpa likes adventures. I wonder if God and the angels have given him a new blue car. I know Grandpa would like it if God gave him a flower garden.
