"Goodbye Granddad"
He was just lying there. What was pain on his face the day before had disappeared. In a way I was happy. But I was still
upset. I had seen him on Friday night. He still had pain. But he was cheerful. Mum shaved him and trimmed the hair that he had.
Not long before he died he had arrived in Koroit Memorial Hospital. He had suffered for a long time. Longer than I
remember. He had 'Emphysema.' He was sick of the pain. He just wanted and needed to go. It was better for him to go.
But he just kept on bouncing back towards recovery. He just couldn't go. His spittoon was emptied every day. He used
the asthma mask several times a day and had tubes up his nose.
Early in his time he was a smoker. But soon gave up. He picked many potatoes and onions. He worked 24 years with
telecom, every day climbing the tower at Tower Hill. He also had a garden to look after. His life was full. Yet he fitted
everything in. Including the bills. He picked more spuds and onions than anyone in Australia. Or so he said. He also
caught many hundreds of rabbits and fish. He was old styled and had thirteen children, nine boys and four girls. His
wife won many golf trophies. He said he won trophies for football and cricket. Even when he was old he was active.
He owned a dog - a fox terrier.
I remembered this as he lay there in his coffin. He'd called the nurse to call Mum. When she returned he had died. He'd
been finished off by a minor heart attack. It didn't kill him but was the final nudge. He went peacefully. But now his face
was smooth and pale. His nose looked longer. His face was longer with no expression. I did not touch him. I just looked
and cried. I was glad he was in heaven and peacefully resting at last. But I was sad that he was gone. I cried a lot. The
family said one "Our Father" and ten "Hail Mary's." We left him and his wife alone. After that I went to get clothes for the
funeral. What followed topped off a bad day.
As I exited New Generation the alarm went off. The lady who had served us had forgotten to take off the part that set the
alarm off. That night I went to the Rosary. It was short but emotional. At the end I cried. I couldn't stop for a while. I
then went to Nana's. I sat outside for about half an hour just crying, thinking about good times and saying goodbye. After
a while I was walking around a car with my eyes closed in the dark. I knew every pace. But I kept crying.
The funeral was on the Tuesday. I cried at the end and in the bouquet of flowers I placed a four-leaf-clover. I had found
16 of them the day before. Once again I cried. I cried a lot. At the cemetery I cried. I said 'Goodbye' for one last time.
"I'll see you later," I said as I cried. "Goodbye Grandad, I love you."
AW
