“Who’s
this, grandma?”
“A
friend”
“How
come I never knew about this friend of yours?”
“Because
you never asked”
“And
I never asked about the stars and the moon, either”
Sigh
“Who
is this, Grandma?”
My
granddaughter knew every tiny detail about me. Mostly, because she was always
kept under my care, whenever her parents went for work. And whenever they went for
vacations. And whenever they had stuff to do that didn’t include Natasha. Ever
since Natasha started walking and talking, she has been under my care. Now 20
and a beautiful lady, she’s my everything. My best friend, my confidante, my
companion. And I am her granny, her sweet old friend who sits on an arm chair
and tells her fables of the past. My
past.
“I
was about to get married to this friend”
“You
were about to get married to her?”
Natasha looked up at me, a look of disbelief.
“Yes.
We were. Nobody knew but we planned secretly, happily and yes, we couldn’t
believe we were actually doing that”
She
crossed her legs and a smile ran across her face. She wasn’t judging.
“But
you and grandpa!”
“Things
changed. She couldn’t marry me. And your grandpa knows about this. Things
changed after her father retired. They went for a vacation, the whole family
did. And after they returned, her father fell ill. And I don’t mean, cough or
fever, of course. He was diagnosed with Meningitis. And then on, it went just
downhill” I moved my hands to show her a downward spiral movement, just so I
wouldn’t break down.
“What
happened after?”
“He…died.”
“No…”
she whispered.
“Her
mom went crazy. She wouldn’t talk or eat. And she knew about my relation with
her daughter, which didn’t make anything better. She wouldn’t tolerate me
inside the house and wouldn’t let me meet her. One day I got a call from…her.”
“Why
won’t you take her name?”
“And
I went to meet her. She cried. She hugged me and cried and apologised for
everything. I kept saying it was okay but she wouldn’t listen. She kissed me
and started crying again. I had no idea what was happening or maybe I did but
wasn’t ready to acknowledge it. Then she said it. She had a talk with her mom
regarding me and they had an argument. It didn’t go so well, since I got
married to your grandfather. What her mom told her was, she either forgets me
or she could forget her mom.”
“And
she chose her mom.”
“I
wouldn’t let her choose otherwise. Her mom had already lost her father”
“Does
mom know?”
“Nobody
in the family apart from Grandpa knows. And now, of course, you.”
“Why
wouldn’t you take her name?”
Sigh.
“It
hurts less”
