Somebody pinch me, this cannot be happening!
Is the last thought I have as we load the final box and miscellaneous items
into the extra large U-Haul truck.
“Go
and hug grandma good-bye.” Mom says choking back tears. My grandma is one a amazing woman and I
strive to be like her everyday, but I know we have to leave because mom got a
new job and we had to get away from her abusive ex-husband. I think that was
the worst day of my life.
“Bye
grandma, I will miss you so much! I promise I will come back and visit real
soon.” I sobbed uncontrollably. We all
climbed into the car and truck after we all say our goodbyes. I looked over at
my younger sister who is riding with my mom and grandpa in the truck, cracking
jokes like she always does. I guess it is how she deals with pain. I on the
other hand prefer to cry it all out now and move on… well at least try and move
on.
“On the road
again.” Grammy exclaims. (My mother’s mom). I shake my in agreement with her,
but inside I just want to scream, I am leaving all of my family behind to go
and live in Portland, Oregon; and this is a gigantic change from Deer Lodge,
Montana.
“We
made it!” Mom exclaimed. I don’t really remember the trip, but she means that
we had made it half way and we had pulled over in Idaho somewhere to stay at a
hotel and get some rest for the next day.
My morning begins at 5:30 a.m.; mom went in to the grocery story and got
us all donuts and chocolate milk- Nesquik of course- and then we are on the
road again. It has been an extremely
long trip; almost 26 hours, not including bathroom and food breaks.
We
stayed in Gresham for about a week, and my mom got the call; my grandma had to
have heart surgery and she died from an infection in her heart from the
emergency surgery. Since the move to
Gresham we didn’t have a lot of money and we couldn’t go back for her funeral saying
goodbye was the last time I saw her.
It
has been nine years almost to the day since she has passed and with my
graduation, drawing close, I miss her more and more because she was there for
my kindergarten graduation. I know that
she will be proud of me and even though she is gone. She is still a very big part of me and I will
never forget her.
