granny

Simply 6 Minutes — Goodbye Granny

Fandango17 Comments

The last time I saw Granny, she was sitting in the backseat of a large, black SUV. She was all dressed up and her hair was in rollers. Mom told her that once she got to the Senior Center they would brush out her hair and she would be going to the center’s game room for bingo, music, and other activities with people her own age.

Granny seemed happy and excited to be going out and to be with other people, as it had been months since she was out on her own, and what better place was there for her to go for a few hours than the Senior Center?

My mother cheerfully said to Granny, “Have a great time, Mom. We’ll see you for dinner when they drop you off this evening. Then we all smiled and waved at Granny and she smiled and waved back at us as the SUV took off.

As the SUV rounded the corner, I asked my mom why she lied to Granny about going to the Senior Center and about seeing her for dinner. “Granny’s being taken to the ERC, the Elderly Recycling Center, for….”

My mother put her hand over my mouth. “Ssh!” she said, with tears in her eyes. “Granny knows that, sweetie. It’s just a game we play when our loved ones reach Granny’s age. She knows she’s not coming back, but it’s too painful for everyone to talk about it openly, so we pretend it’s just another day.

“I’m going to miss her,” I said, wondering how I’ll feel in 65 years on the day I turn 80.

Written for Christine Bialczak’s Simply 6 Minutes Challenge. Photo unaccredited.

Ahead of Her Time

Fandango8 Comments

My grandmother always liked to put fancy ribbons in the hair of her grandchildren. Boys, girls, it didn’t make no never mind to her. My mother and father strenuously objected, of course, when it came to me. “Egad!” my father would exclaim. “Are you trying to turn my son into a fag? No son of mine is going to go around with ribbons in his hair.”

“Oh posh,” Granny would say. “Why make your children live within the confines of what so-called proper society dictates?” Granny would ask. “Forcing a gender identity on a child is not conducive to growing up to become a well-rounded, empathetic adult. Besides,” she’d add, “children — even boys — look adorable with ribbons in their hair.”

Granny was way ahead of her time.

Written for these daily prompts: E.M.’s Random Word Prompt (grandmother), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (fancy), The Daily Spur (ribbon), Ragtag Daily Prompt (children), Word of the Day Challenge (gad), Your Daily Word Prompt (confines), and My Vivid Blog (conducive).