Rest in Peace.


My favourite memory of you, Nanna May, is when I went to visit you in hospital about a year ago. I felt like a Very Bad Granddaughter and wanted desperately to make it up to you for not having been to visit in a while. So I asked you if there was anything I could do for you.






"Gosh, yes, there is actually," you replied.





"Yes?" I answered.





And you requested that I clean your teeth. A simple task. Of course I could do that, I told you, and I wondered how I would help you walk to the sink.





You moved your tongue around your mouth then, and popped your teeth out into your hand.





As you passed them to me I grumbled, "Well that makes it easier then."











Comments

  1. P9 December 2009 at 11:28

    It's amazing how comedy can even be found in sadness.

    I'm sorry for your loss though.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Laura Jane Williams9 December 2009 at 11:56

    Thank you P. I like to remember the good stuff- to celebrate. x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9 December 2009 at 12:26

    That was sweet. Funny as hell, but still sweet. I bet you miss her. I still miss mine and she died yonks ago.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Absolutely Write9 December 2009 at 12:32

    What a funny memory. My old piano teacher used to take her teeth out during my piano lesson - when the cup of tea arrived - and put them on the keyboard. I kid you not. Mind you, that was the 1970's and it didn't seem that unreasonable at the time.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Laura Jane Williams9 December 2009 at 12:53

    mrwriteon- I'm just glad she is in a better place now- a place with her own teeth, I like to think. x

    Absolutely Write- Well in 2000-and-something having somebody hand you their teeth is scary. It actually rendered me speechless. And I always have speech.x

    ReplyDelete
  6. PurestGreen9 December 2009 at 13:51

    I got to sit and peel apples with my grandmother when I visited in the autumn. I also remember massaging her feet once, to try to improve the circulation. Strange, tiny memories of our shared humanity.

    your writing is wonderful - the imagery is like a gift to the reader. Now following with glee.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Huw9 December 2009 at 14:21

    I hope she said "fangs for that" afterwards.

    ReplyDelete
  8. scarlethue9 December 2009 at 14:31

    It's good that you're able to remember the good and funny things about her, it makes the pain of losing them a bit easier. Just a tiny bit.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Laura Jane Williams9 December 2009 at 23:23

    PurestGreen- and I have glee for your following. Thank you for the compliment x

    Huw- I would have cried with shame had she. x

    Scarlethue- Yes. I take funny over heartbreak any day. Nanna did like to laugh. She was wicked. x

    ReplyDelete
  10. SAVanVleck10 December 2009 at 14:12

    She has a funny wicked twinkle in her eye. I bet you take after her.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Laura Jane Williams10 December 2009 at 15:13

    SAVanVleck- she was wicked. Such a good sport... x

    ReplyDelete

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