As you grow older, there are moments in life that you reflect on, wondering what might have been. Time lines cross, and even for a brief period, people, places and things make a sudden impact in your world. You may never cross that way again. That moment might be the only one of it's kind. When you are young, these moments tend to fade into a menagerie of things that will mean very little at the time. It is only when you get older, and the universe has continued to do what it does, expand, grow, and die, that you ultimately take into account those things that really mean something to you.
It was the summer of 1978, and it was the last time I ever saw my grandmother... "Granny". She had come to stay with me. My parents had gone away to celebrate a friend who was getting married. I was 13. I had never had spent any real time with Granny. She was old school. She had one pair of shoes, that she wore to church on Sundays, and lived in sun-dresses. You can do that here in Bermuda. She, along with Pops, who had passed away in 1968, were children of Portuguese immigrants from Sao Miguel in the Azores. In my youth, family was everything. Pops and Granny had 16 kids. "No television in those days." my dad would say. Granny's house was the center of the universe. Kids, grand kids, and great grandkids I think. I don't ever recall going to her house and no one else being there. Dad would go at 2:00 on a Tuesday and would sit at the table, and she would make lunch for him, as she would do for anyone. Such was life in my world. We bowed to the wand wielded by a matriarch who worked from dawn till dusk.
Thinking about it now it was fairly weird to have Granny come and stay with me, even for a few days. It was not something I thought much about at the time. She was such a fixture in her home, but in reality she was fairly active. In fact she was staying with me, and then going to visit her brother, my Uncle Joe, who lived in Brooklyn, New York. It was an annual trip for her, a week to spend looking after him, as he was older than she was. It was those few days before she left on her annual vacation, that she spent with me, that I can never forget. It was the last time she would sleep in Bermuda. Two days into her vacation in Brooklyn, she passed away.
I was working as a stock boy in a local supermarket. Summertime was all about work. Summer vacation wasn't for having fun. If I wanted money to spend, save, it was all about work. I had started packing groceries when I was 10, and had progressed. I was making $140 a week. Six days. Granny was home when I came home from work, and dinner was ready, Clothes had been washed, and the house was spotless. It was like she had come in and taken over. I didn't mind, in my mind, that's the way it was supposed to be. I was 13. I liked a girl Lucia Biachetti... Italian. she was beautiful, and she had boobs. That was hot. Lucia lived two houses over, and we spent a lot of time together. She was a good Catholic girl too. We had kissed, and I had asked her to go steady. It was a thing. Sadly, Granny wasn't having any of it. I came in from work, I had to sit at the table and eat. After that it was bath and ready for bed. Didn't matter if it was still daylight.
I wasn't a happy kid, those few days Granny stayed at the house. While I loved Granny more than anything, she was standing in the way of true love. I remember saying that I was allowed to stay out until 10 on summer weeknights. Dad would let me. Yeah... that wasn't happening. You didn't argue with Granny. She told me that I shouldn't be "playing" with girls at my age. She was sure that Lucia's mother didn't know, and that she would speak to her at mass. I was devastated! What was I going to do for four days? I remember being miserable. I told Lucia when she came in the grocery store the next day. She giggled and smiled, knowing how much my life was going to be a nightmare the next few days.
It really didn't end up being that bad. Granny was a card player, and she told the silliest jokes. We'd play "rummy" until it was well past time for me to be in bed, and she would always be up at the crack of dawn, and when I got up, breakfast was ready. Although I missed Lucia, it was a special time for Granny and I. I'll never forget the moment she kissed me on my cheek, and cut her eyes at me, when she left, scolding me one more time for being too much like my dad, chasing girls all the time. I didn't even think about when the next time I'd see her again. I didn't consider that it was the last time I'd ever see her.
Those moments... I'm so grateful for.
It was the summer of 1978, and it was the last time I ever saw my grandmother... "Granny". She had come to stay with me. My parents had gone away to celebrate a friend who was getting married. I was 13. I had never had spent any real time with Granny. She was old school. She had one pair of shoes, that she wore to church on Sundays, and lived in sun-dresses. You can do that here in Bermuda. She, along with Pops, who had passed away in 1968, were children of Portuguese immigrants from Sao Miguel in the Azores. In my youth, family was everything. Pops and Granny had 16 kids. "No television in those days." my dad would say. Granny's house was the center of the universe. Kids, grand kids, and great grandkids I think. I don't ever recall going to her house and no one else being there. Dad would go at 2:00 on a Tuesday and would sit at the table, and she would make lunch for him, as she would do for anyone. Such was life in my world. We bowed to the wand wielded by a matriarch who worked from dawn till dusk.
Thinking about it now it was fairly weird to have Granny come and stay with me, even for a few days. It was not something I thought much about at the time. She was such a fixture in her home, but in reality she was fairly active. In fact she was staying with me, and then going to visit her brother, my Uncle Joe, who lived in Brooklyn, New York. It was an annual trip for her, a week to spend looking after him, as he was older than she was. It was those few days before she left on her annual vacation, that she spent with me, that I can never forget. It was the last time she would sleep in Bermuda. Two days into her vacation in Brooklyn, she passed away.
I was working as a stock boy in a local supermarket. Summertime was all about work. Summer vacation wasn't for having fun. If I wanted money to spend, save, it was all about work. I had started packing groceries when I was 10, and had progressed. I was making $140 a week. Six days. Granny was home when I came home from work, and dinner was ready, Clothes had been washed, and the house was spotless. It was like she had come in and taken over. I didn't mind, in my mind, that's the way it was supposed to be. I was 13. I liked a girl Lucia Biachetti... Italian. she was beautiful, and she had boobs. That was hot. Lucia lived two houses over, and we spent a lot of time together. She was a good Catholic girl too. We had kissed, and I had asked her to go steady. It was a thing. Sadly, Granny wasn't having any of it. I came in from work, I had to sit at the table and eat. After that it was bath and ready for bed. Didn't matter if it was still daylight.
I wasn't a happy kid, those few days Granny stayed at the house. While I loved Granny more than anything, she was standing in the way of true love. I remember saying that I was allowed to stay out until 10 on summer weeknights. Dad would let me. Yeah... that wasn't happening. You didn't argue with Granny. She told me that I shouldn't be "playing" with girls at my age. She was sure that Lucia's mother didn't know, and that she would speak to her at mass. I was devastated! What was I going to do for four days? I remember being miserable. I told Lucia when she came in the grocery store the next day. She giggled and smiled, knowing how much my life was going to be a nightmare the next few days.
It really didn't end up being that bad. Granny was a card player, and she told the silliest jokes. We'd play "rummy" until it was well past time for me to be in bed, and she would always be up at the crack of dawn, and when I got up, breakfast was ready. Although I missed Lucia, it was a special time for Granny and I. I'll never forget the moment she kissed me on my cheek, and cut her eyes at me, when she left, scolding me one more time for being too much like my dad, chasing girls all the time. I didn't even think about when the next time I'd see her again. I didn't consider that it was the last time I'd ever see her.
Those moments... I'm so grateful for.