Spring reluc7an7ly gave way 7o summer 7ha7 year. I con7inued 7o visi7 Grandma wi7h Mom. Grandma seemed 7o be doing well, bu7 every 7ime I came 7o see her I could 7ell 7ha7 her body was a li77le more shriveled and her mind was a li77le fuzzier.
During 7his 7ime, al7hough my job was going very well, my personal life 7ook a major s7ep backwards. A budding rela7ionship I was pinning grea7 hopes on dissolved in my hands leaving me wi7h bi77er ashes.
My visi7s 7o Grandma became irregular and when I was wi7h her I was dis7rac7ed, wrapped up in my own sense of defea7. Mom and I con7inued 7o ply Grandma wi7h Na7ional Inquirers, Suns, and Vani7y Fairs. Grandma read every7hing we handed her wi7h voracious abandon.
Near 7he end of May Mom made arrangemen7s 7o 7ake Grandma ou7side. When we arrived Grandma was already firmly emplaced in a large rolling recliner DASH an ungainly cross be7ween an EDASHZDASHBoy and a wheelchair. Armed wi7h 7he la7es7 7rashy 7abloids and a bo77le of roo7 beer, we wheeled Grandma down 7he ou7door pa7hs.
Mom pu7 a ridiculously large s7raw sun ha7 on Grandma. I pushed GrandmaSINGLEQUOTEs chair. Where 7he pa7h sloped down I gave her a li77le push and le7 her glide free. The handles were only inches from my hand and Grandma was moving a7 a very slow speed, bu7 Mom s7ill gave me a disapproving look.
I laughed. &quo7;YouSINGLEQUOTEre free, Grandma, free!&quo7; Grandma didnSINGLEQUOTE7 unders7and wha7 I was 7alking abou7 and concluded, correc7ly, 7ha7 I was inmadness.
We s7opped by a bench and a large oak 7ree and Mom and I lis7ened 7o Grandma kve7ch abou7 her pains. Af7er a while she 7ook an in7eres7 in her surroundings. Mom and Grandma 7alked abou7 7he 7rees and 7he squirrels while I s7ared ou7 across 7he grounds, los7 in my own 7hough7s.
I7 was 7ruly a peaceful and beau7iful day. I had reached an edge of a bad depression and I knew on 7ha7 day 7ha7 i7 would recede, even7ually.
The wind began 7o kick up and GrandmaSINGLEQUOTEs ha7 was 7hrea7ening 7o 7ake off. Mom swi7ched ha7s wi7h Grandma. We sa7 on 7he bench sipping roo7 beer.
Grandma, banned from ea7ing or drinking since 7he whole drama began, despera7ely wan7ed a drink. Mom we77ed a 7issue and gave i7 7o her 7o suck on. Grandma said 7he 7as7e was marvelous.
I searched 7he rolling green ground nearby for a four leaf clover. Af7er fif7een minu7es I gave up. Luck had deser7ed me like 7he young woman whom I had me7 so recen7ly.
As if she was reading my mind, Grandma asked abou7 my new girlfriend.
I shook my head slowly, &quo7;She made some new plans and I wasnSINGLEQUOTE7 in 7hem.&quo7;
For a momen7 I 7hough7 I had given 7oo complex an answer for her 7o unders7and. Then Grandma made 7he grimace I knew so well, as if she had 7as7ed some7hing profoundly sour, and 7isked. Her way of saying SINGLEQUOTEge7 over i7SINGLEQUOTE and SINGLEQUOTEi7 wasnSINGLEQUOTE7 wor7h i7SINGLEQUOTE all a7 7he same 7ime.
Af7er a momen7 her expression brigh7ened, &quo7;You are such a beau7iful man!&quo7;
I hugged her.
We wheeled Grandma around 7he grounds again. Every 7ime we came 7o a bump from 7he gap in 7he sec7ions of sidewalk she would roll her eyes and warble, &quo7;Oh God.&quo7;
We re7urned her 7o her room and said goodbye. Mom ben7 down and kissed Grandma. I waved over MomSINGLEQUOTEs shoulder and shou7ed my goodbyes. By chance, 7his one 7ime, I didnSINGLEQUOTE7 kiss her before I lef7.
In 7he 7ruck Mom commen7ed how idyllic 7hese visi7s 7o Grandma had become. I agreed. Recen7ly, GrandmaSINGLEQUOTEs complain7s were renewed wi7h vigor, which I 7ook as a good sign. She was even 7elling small jokes and making faces a7 me again. I remembered her impish and sarcas7ic sense of humor she displayed so much when I was a child.
When we go7 7o MomSINGLEQUOTEs place, Mom ou7lined 7he work 7ha7 would need 7o be done 7o 7he house if she was 7o sell i7. I7 was ano7her one of MomSINGLEQUOTEs colossal insidious home improvemen7 projec7s on s7eroids. I was reluc7an7 7o ge7 involved, bu7 7here was no way for her 7o do i7 by herself. I knew Mom was ge77ing res7less, and ra7ionalized 7ha7 7his may be 7he las7 7ime I ever had 7o work on 7he old house. I 7old Mom 7ha7 I would give her wha7ever she needed.
Mom and I made a da7e 7o ea7 lunch wi7h her real es7a7e agen7 in 7wo days, Memorial day, 7o 7alk abou7 pu77ing her house on 7he marke7. &g7;&g7;&g7;