Geeky Turn On!

Tales of the grandma

  My dad picked me up in his car so we could go home. A month ago, this woulda been an awkward ride home, but not today. Nah, I was feeling good about myself, so I figured we could talk.

"Soooo," I began. "Wassup?"

"Picking you up from your night on the town," he said. Not what I expected.

"Uhhhh," I continued. "Sooooooo...nothing new, Dad?"

"Nope," he said.

"Ok," I said, feeling deflated. I guess he noticed, because then he asked me a question.

"Who was the blonde?" He asked. "Was she your date?"

"Nah, she was the girl I helped," I said. "My date was her roommate."

"Ah," he said. "I noticed a big, beefy gal up there, too. That her?"

"Yup," I said. "I really like her."

"Take it slow," said Dad. "If you rush it, you'll end up regretting it."

"I know," I said. Boy, do I know...

"So," he continued. "You and the blonde; what's there?"

"We're friends," I said.

"I see," he said, nodding. "Just friends?"

"Yeah."

"Just friends," he repeated, grinning a bit. He continued driving for a full three minutes without speaking again. "What're your plans for the future?"

"Uh, continue going to the gym," I said, shrugging. "Keep visiting Doc Martin. Why?"

He sighed.

"I'm just worried about you, is all," he said. "It's been twenty four years since your grandma passed on."

"Uhuh?"

"Remember how she lived with us for most of your childhood?" He asked. "She moved right in after Liliana left us. I didn't even ask her to; she just barged right in and made herself at home. She was helping me raise you, and that was the final word on that."

"I remember her," I said, smiling. "I loved her."

"She was crazy about you," He continued. "She was the third person to hold you, right after Liliana and me. She never really liked Liliana, but for your sake, she'd be civil. She always said Liliana stood in the way between me and my true love."

"Who? Sarah?"

"Yup," he said. "Mom loved Sarah WAY more. She even told me on my wedding day "Son, you're making a HUGE mistake today. We both know the wrong woman is wearing that wedding dress." She was right, gotta admit."

"Yeah," I whispered. 

"She mellowed out when you were born," he said. "In fact, she'd often say "son, you screwed up, but we got Daisy out of it, so it's OK." And that's how I like to see it."

"Wow, I don't remember her being like THAT!"

"Eh, to you she was your grandma," he said. "To me, she was the woman who only ever cried thrice in her life."

"Really?"

"Yup," he said, frowning. "When my father killed himself, she cried. I don't remember him, but I remember her tears; they're my first memory, in fact."

That's heavy.

"When I was twelve, my brother Kevin got drafted to the war in Vietnam," he continued. "He came back in a casket. His funeral was the second time I ever saw her cry."

Uncle Kevin is the man my little brother is named after.

"And finally, there was the day she moved in with us," he continued. "After we tucked you into bed and left your room, she turned to me, her eyes burning with tears. She said "I told you, I told you that woman would bring you all the heartache you could handle and more." And that was the last time I ever saw her cry."