I mentioned sort of in passing last week that my grandma was in the hospital. I went to see her on Friday.
Grandma was in isolation, so I had to put on a gown, gloves and a mask to go in and see her. I held her hand, and her eyes moved around, but she couldn't squeeze my hand and I don't know that she even really saw me.
The next day I spent at home, but I couldn't stop thinking about Grandma. I needed a distraction. So I called up Nick and we agreed to meet up at Kate's birthday party (which I'd forgotten about, but I think I can be excused because I was juuuuust a little out of it). Kerba picked me up (he was at work, so he was closer) and we drove out to a place called, appropriately enough, "The Place" for Karaoke. Kate was already there, Stuart (ANOTHER person who I haven't seen since Abbingdon- I'm terrible at keeping up with people) showed up not long after we got there and Nick and Shawn showed just when I was about to go on stage. Yay!
I tend to lose track of time at karaoke type events. Some songs seem to never end, so it really throws me off. As it turns out, it was 11:48 when I flipped open my phone to check the time. I know this because 20 minutes earlier my mom had left a message on the phone. With the almost deafening roar of off key caterwauling (some of it coming from me, especially while we sung Happy Birthday to Kate, and I contributed by bellowing the "You look like a monkey" variation at the top of my lungs) I didn't hear it ring.
I didn't even bother to check the message I just called home. My Mom answered on the fourth ring.
"Mom? Did you call me?"
"We got a call from Uncle Bob. Grandma's gone. Come home." Gone, with that tone of voice that makes it pretty clear she hasn't somehow been misplaced.
I can be sort of flippant about it right now, because it's nearly a week later and I handle most problems through sarcasm and laughter. I couldn't do that at the time, though.
I sort of stumbled through the bar. Nick asked "What's up?" and I tried to tll him, but before I could get a word out I started crying.
He gave me a hug and after a few moments I managed to sob into his neck what had happened, that I need to go home. People hugged me goodbye, not really clear why I was crying (I couldn't deal with saying it again) and Nick took me home.
The actual funeral was on Thursday, and it was a wonderful gathering. Nick came and met half my family, most of whom I have trouble keeping straight (but they liked him. Yay!). Family and friends from all over were able to make it out. Mostly people were happy about being together, rather than sad about losing Grandma.
Grandma was a classy lady. She pretty much was the phrase "You can do whatever you put your mind to" personified. She was a fantastic crafter, who really did just about everything. She sewed, cooked, wove fabric, made jewellery, played musical instruments, danced, dyed scarves, knit, crocheted and I don't know what else. And all this with hands and feet that were badly deformed from getting horrible frostbite when she was a kid. We're talking "the doctors want to amputate" case of bad frostbite. She had an absolutely wicked sense of humour, but she knew how to be a lady, too.
I love you, Grandma, and I'll miss you terribly.
And that's all I have to say about that.