Edie's Journey Ch. 05

Grandma came into the bedroom startled and saw immediately that grandpa was not responding. She pushed me aside and I fell naked to the side of the bed as she yelled, "David? David!" as she pounded on his chest. But grandpa did not stir. I came to my senses and getting past grandma I started to do CPR as best as I could remember from high school health class. Grandma went to the phone and called 911. I tried and tried but grandpa did not wake up. Grandma stopped me after awhile and held me at arms length and said, "Edie you have to go to your room and clean yourself up. Grandpa is gone and the paramedics must not know you were having sex with him. I will tell them it was me – so go and do what I told you."

I ran to my room and quickly washed and threw on a new nightgown and robe. Wearing slippers I told grandma I would wait by the front door for the ambulance. She nodded as she sat on the edge of the bed having covered grandpa up to his neck with a sheet. I let the paramedics in and led them upstairs. They tried to get a pulse and did some CPR as well but in the end they could do nothing – grandpa was gone.

I sat on the stairs crying and grandma joined me as we held each other. She cried but they were dignified tears whereas my tears were of a terrified nature. She comforted me when it was I who should have comforted her. She explained that older people live their lives knowing death is following closely behind. They had over five decades together and she was pleased he could pass doing the thing he seemed best suited for – making a woman happy! I cried when she said that too!

The funeral was arranged, the family came, and my mom and I were dressing for the church service in my room. I told her how sorry I was about her dad, my grandpa, and she said she knew that I made grandpa happy and grandma too and thanked me for that.

Everyone went to the cemetery after the church service. Grandma had me stand next to her and my mom at the gravesite and it must have pleased grandpa that both his older and younger Josephine's were praying over his gravesite. Later my cousin Anne remarked to me that seeing grandma, my mom and me all standing next to each other was eerie in that we were all in black dresses, black nylons and black veils - the resemblance being uncanny like seeing the same woman old, middle aged and young at the same time.

As we rode back to the house in the rented limousine my grandma patted me on the hand as we sat close to one another and whispered," I'm a widow at 72 and you at 21 my dear!". I nodded yes, and wept silently. I think now I can say I truly loved that man as perhaps only a wife can – strange as it sounded.

To be continued .......