18 years ago today...

My Grampy Melvin died.

I didn't realize it was 18 years until I got out the calculator and did the calculation 3 times....18 year? Can't be?

It can be.

18 years ago today I was 15 years old, in grade 9, had the world by the butt and looked smashingly HOT! I wore a size 24 jean and was signed up for the Miss Keswick Valley Pageant....oh yeah baby!

My Grampy, mom & dad had gone to Halifax the weekend prior so Grampy could have his triple bi-pass surgury, mom & dad waited, thought they would stay down and everyone, including Grampy told them to go home, the surgury was the toughest part and he'd made it through and was talking.....all was good.

Mom and dad arrived home on Monday, May 13th 12 hours after Grampy's surgury.

On Tuesday, May 14th I came home from school had very little to eat and went straight to my bedroom to prep for the upcoming Daily Gleaner photo that was going to be taken that evening of the pageant contestants......life was good...I tried on almost everything I owned, had the music cranked (dad was gone visitng so I could).

The rules were dress pretty, respectable and clean.....easy enough....I chose a pretty blush pink blouse with a tie at the neck.

Dad was gone, Mom was outside it was 5:45, my drive was picking me up at 6:15, I had to be at the school for 6:30.

The phone rang, being 15 it was likely for me and I so answered:

Me: Hello

Him: Hi, who is this?

Me: Who are you?

Him: are you related to a Melvin Morehouse?

Me: yeah thats my Grampy

Him: He expired at 4:30 today

Me: he what?

Him: he expired at 4:30 pm today, he sat up to have a drink and expired

Me: What are you saying? MOM!!!!

Him: Have your father call me to make arrangements.

Me: bye

Yes! That is how I found out that my grandfather had "expired".....what an inconsiderate a-hole for not inquiring further who he was talking to and not talking to the next of kin. I was 15.

I ran out and told mom and was in absolute shock, she said "get your father now"...um dad was down the road visiting, like 5 miles down the road. I called a neighbour to take me to dad and I told him, using the same word the doctor had used and he said "whats that? I said I think Grampy died dad".......

Dad said "can't be".....we drove home....mom called the hospital in Halifax while we were gone to get the details.

He sat up to have a drink of juice....my grampy died after coming through triple bi-pass surgury.

I miss him every single day, he was the best, he wasn't perfect but he was all mine, he was the only Grampy I knew and I could see him anytime I wanted - they lived across the field from us. Every night my grandmother went to bingo - every single night of the week and weekend....once the weather got warmer Grampy would sit on a lawn lounger in the front yard after Gram left, everyone in the neighbourhood would come to congregate....come to find out they were all drinking with Grampy. I always wondered how Grampy could be so happy go lucky all the time?

My Grampy had a glass eye too, he would take it out and polish it. I was 9 before I knew that and was totally freaked out, his eye was in his hand. When he was 7 or 8 he and his brothers got sling shots and were shooting rocks in the air...well you can guess...my Grampy got hit....yuck.

I miss you Grampy Melvin.....I wish you could see me now and would have met Bailey, she's a lot like you - spunky.

People use to call him "Mel" - as people call me that....I like that, it gives me another memory of my Grampy.