Grandmother (part II)

Dad called Wednesday and said she was not going to last much longer. 

     “Do you want to say something to her? I will hold the phone to her ear. She will probably not hear you.” 

     “I still want to talk to her anyway.”

     “Thank you for being a wonderful grandmother and a special person. Ashton, Lauren, and Paul think the same thing. You need Jesus because He is the most important person—you need to ask Him into her heart.”

 

I cried as I spoke. These were the last words I would tell her.

     Paul hadn’t seen his grandparents much because they’d lived far away. Two grandparents died when he was in high school or college—three died before he was born. Fortunately, he had mine. 

     Dad said if she passed away, the memorial service would be Saturday. 

     I received a text from Joann on January 5, 2012. She stated, “Grandmother was finally at peace and no longer in pain. She passed away at 2:40 p.m. The memorial service will be on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at her church on St. Simons. Her service will be at the cemetery in Savannah in the upcoming weeks when it is convenient for our cousins and us.”

     There was not an open casket because Grandmother was cremated—she didn’t want people to see her that way.

 

     I called Dad again to ask if he wanted us to stay in a hotel. Things would be hectic around the house, and I did not want to make it worse. He wanted my family to stay at his home. 

     He was talkative on the call and said he was excited to see everyone. I was a little surprised. He might have been relieved because he had taken care of Grandmother’s finances, paid her bills, and many other things for years.