Comes With The Seasons

Prologue

Summer has got to be my least favourite season. It's always hot and the flies are the most annoying thing in the world. If it was my choice, I would have it always be autumn. Cooling down from summer but not cold enough to be winter. That's my favourite time of year.

But it's summer. It's January 4th, so I don't need to worry about going to Christmas parties or New Year's Eve events. Currently I'm sitting on my Grandmother's front porch, in a hammock. I like my Grandmother's house. It's not full of my annoying siblings or parents who are rushing in and out, no time for me. Just me and my Grandma.

I'm reading a book called 'Forever Again'. It's not the best book but it's my favourite. It was the last book me and my Grandpa read together. He died last year. We were closer than anyone else I knew. Whenever I came over, he would start playing the TV show we always watched together, 'Keeping Up Appearances'. Grandma would watch too, that is if she wasn't busy working or doing housework. She always is on her feet. At the age of 67 she has rode two 200km bike rides and gone all over the world. Grandpa wasn't like that, he enjoyed lounging around. I remember the one time Grandma convinced him to come to Italy with her. They came over to my parent's house before heading for the airport. Grandpa whispered "It's not too late to get me out of this," into my ear. I just laughed as Grandma pulled him away to say goodbye to my siblings. I miss him. So does Grandma.

After Grandpa's death, Dad got angrier. He and Mum would fight all the time, useless fights about nothing in particular. He still loves us though.

Mum got busier. She wasn't home as much, anything to keep her away from my Dad. Now my sister had to cook dinner and look after me and my other siblings. She still loves us though.

My siblings barely cared. My eldest sister went on to go to University, she didn't have time for us. She didn't have time to mourn. My second older sister just stayed in her room all the time. When she did come out it would just be to yell at me or eat dinner. She was too busy drawing art and calling her friends. My little brother was the most unbearable, he played video games 24/7. Started yelling more. Becoming more defiant. If you told him to be quiet, he would just throw something at you.

This is why I like Grandma's house. She didn't change. She told me "Grandpa wouldn't want us to". She is still her. Going on trips around the world, but now she takes me instead of her friends. She still works all the time. But I guess she has to now that Grandpa isn't there to work as well. She still smiles all the time. She filled Grandpa's role of watching 'Keeping Up Appearances' with me. I love her. More than anything.

Now it's summer. I'm sitting on my Grandma's porch reading 'Forever Again'. And all I can think about is how much I wish it was me who got hit by that bus.