On Friday, I got a call from my Grandpa. I couldn't understand him at first, because I have never heard him talk the way he did. But earlier that night, my grandma died. My grandpa knew that she was up to go to the bathroom at around midnight, and it must have been a little while later. They know for a fact that she did not feel anything, because of the position she was in and the fact that my grandpa didn't notice her moving around. She was being treated for high blood pressure, and they're pretty sure that it was a silent heart attack. My grandpa went out for breakfast early in the morning like he always does on Fridays, came back and told my grandma through the door that she didn't have to get up early because they weren't going to visit somebody in Ottawa because that person had the flu. He then left again, probably to collect money from the vending machines he owns. He then returned later, probably around 1:30 or 1:40, and then he said he saw that the dishes had not been washed and put away, and he knew something was wrong. I believe my house was the first one he called, because my caller ID said it was about 1:44 or so when he called our house. Both my parents were working, and I called my mom after I got off the phone with him, and she called my dad at work. I then quickly finished the plate of food that I had in front of me, left to go down to my Grandpa's and called him while I was on the way to let him know. I was the first family member to get there, and he was grieving uncontrollably. The two people in the ambulance were still there, and they had to wait on the coroner. The coroner I believe used to go to school with one of my aunts, and she was able to place the time of death as early after midnight because of the full rigor mortis that my grandma was in. I helpded my grandpa the best I could, laying my hand on his shoulder, dialing some of the numbers that he hadn't reached yet. But I didn't much know what to say, I'm not really good at offering words of comfort. Some of my Grandma's sisters were the next people to arrive. They made fresh coffee, and were able to talk to him more since they knew him better than I did. Then one of my dad's sisters, along with her two children and grandchildren, came, and then more people came. My dad and mom and sister came together. We all pitched in to order food from this place called the cherry country club. My dad ended up staying the night, just to be there with my grandpa, because he refused to go with one of my uncles in law to stay at his house. These two are very close friends, so if he didn't go with him, then my grandpa wouldn't have gone with anybody else.
The funeral was yesterday. IVCF, my church from Mendota, sent a very nice floral arrangement. The funeral was short and to the point, and afterward we all went back to my grandpa's house to eat more chicken. My grandpa seemed much better then.
Below are two poems that I wrote. The first, I wrote Friday night right before I went to bed, and the second, I wrote during the visitation before the funeral. It probably contains a better description of the funeral and visitation itself than journal entry would contain.
Dear Grandma,
I am sorry to hear that you have passed
but glad to hear that when you breathed your last
it was silent, and quick, and free from pain
and now you are freed from the hot and the cold and the snow and the rain.
I will miss the times shared at the fish fries
with all the desserts, the cookies and pies
I will miss the laughter, and joy spent with you
and I'm positively sure that others will too.
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Words float through my mind
people speak words that are kind
I hear people say good things about my Grandma
While self-composure has left my Grandpa
I need another mint, I fish in my pocket
soon the clasps of the casket will be fit into their socket
tears flow and people dry their eyes
will we still have traditional fish fries?
I wonder where my grandma went when she died
the place where people rejoice, or the place where people cry?
There are only two places where one can go
But I would certainly prefer to know.
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