Mar 8 2010
the big shovel.
My grandma was finally released from the nursing home yesterday. There’re both pros and cons to that, I guess, as nursing homes can be negligent and have proved that several times during her stay. However, being back home with my aunt Sharon isn’t really such a hot idea either, as she will likely fall right back into a routine of little movement and no outside interaction.
In any case, Sharon sought Henry’s shoveling skills so that the paramedics would be able to get my grandma safely into the house. Chooch and I went with him, because I had wanted to get some new pictures of Chooch anyway. It was sort of a bad idea. And I don’t even mean the fact that Chooch was being completely uncooperative and dickish with me. It was just sad being at that house. I grew up there, and to be outside of it, with the sunlight highlighting all the mossy overgrowth, broken lanterns, rusted railings and caved in gates? It was a bit much for me. Especially when I followed Chooch into the backyard and saw how decrepit and forlorn the back patio looks, the pool nothing more than a gaping leaf-filled hole in the ground and the accompanying shanny overtaken by weeds and God only knows what kind of wildlife. That used to be the summer hot spot, right there, but since my Pappap died it has quite literally been consumed by nature. It breaks my heart to know that my kid will never get to have pool parties there like I did.
Maybe they should rent out their backyard to be used as a horror movie set. Because I honestly had the shivers being back there. And the back of the property is hugged by an expanse of woods, so God only knows how many bodies are buried there. I used to walk out there daily when I was in high school and there were times when the hair on my arms would stand erect in ninety degree weather and my heels would instinctively fling me into a pirouette and send me running back home.
Chooch ate chicken nuggets while Henry teetered on the edge of Heart Attack Mountain in an attempt to break through blocks of ice on the front porch. Apparently, after the big fucking snowstorm that left Pittsburgh looking like Antarctica gave birth in its background, my aunt was trying to solve the problem by throwing salt on three feet of snow, which only resulted in layers of it melting and then freezing into sheets of ice. Which in turn became Henry’s problem. He should be used to cleaning up after me and my family by now, though. Like the time I tried to vacuum liquid from the bottom of the fridge and didn’t realize that it was pouring out of the hose and onto the kitchen floor behind me. Immediately became Henry’s problem.
While Henry was shoveling, Sharon called me from inside the house to inform me that Henry is an angel and that I better never let him go. This schmooze fest went on for a few minutes while I’m struggling to not blurt out, “He better never let ME go! I’m the awesome one in this arrangement!” but secretly I knew she was right. Goddammit. At one point she said he was god sent and I was like, “OK, I have to go.”
There’s a large shed that’s also in the back of the house. Chooch was like, “What the hell is this, a farm?” and I almost blurted out, “No, this is where I hid my boyfriend Mike when he ran away from home.” It was unlocked, but I was hesitant to open the door.
It just feels like everything is going to break if I touch it and I guess I would just rather remember it the way it used to be. And not some rotting cavity filled with broken down mowers, lawnchairs and ATVs. And probably dead animals. Actually, after my Pappap died, a “family friend” broke into that shed and stole most of his stuff, anyway (and later fell from a ladder, broke his neck, and died). So it’s likely filled with nothing but stale air and shitty fucking karma.
He later bitched the whole way home because for some reason HIS PANTS WERE ALL WET, WAH.
I used to roller skate up and down this lane. There were speed bumps on it back then though, which my Pappap was responsible for. The story was that there was a family who lived at the end of the lane and their teenaged son used to get a little overzealous behind the wheel. Apparently he almost ran over my aunt Susie when she was a kid, so in went the speed bumps. Every one hated them, especially once my friends started driving, because no one ever thought to SLOW DOWN for the SPEED BUMPS and perhaps save the undercarriage of their cars, and I don’t know, a LIFE?
After my Pappap died, some of the neighbors got together and had the speed bumps taken out. Even though I had already moved off that street and into my own apartment by then, it really upset me. Like a piece of him had literally been ground into dust. Ew, I couldn’t stand it. I hate the fuckers who live on that street.
I shudder to think what will become of my grandparent’s house once my grandma is gone. Being there yesterday was kind of terrible.
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*hugs*
I don’t know what else to say. I’m an especially nostalgic person so things like this hit me hard too. But the extra ingredient of Sharon makes this all so much harder.
Nostalgia can be a bitch sometimes. I swear to god there was this one spot near the front yard that had this very distinct, earthy smell to it and suddenly I was 15 and sneaking out with my boyfriend Justin. It was almost crippling!
Thank you for understanding, Lisa. *hugs*
That’s an awesome house. I wish your grandma would will it to you and not aunt Sharon because it’s obvious it means so much more to you.
I would love to keep that house in the family. It’s awesome there, even if it’s in a state of decay. But I think they’re trying to sell it. :(
i lived in my grandparents’ house for something like eleven years.. along with my parents, of course, and my aunt and cousins..
i have a hard time going back now that my grandma has died. it’ll be five years come the end of this month.
meh. i don’t want to think about this right now. heh.
I’m sorry this made you think of sad things, Sarah. :(
It also bothers me to think what will become of the house. As well as all of the awesome things inside of it. Since I still live at home, I still go on the walks through the woods and around the house. As the years go on though, I do it less frequently. Mostly because, like you, it literally breaks my heart. I don’t have as many memories as you do from back in the day when it was all in its glory, but I still remember. It makes me sick to my stomach to see how everything is literally disintegrating. It’s like it’s all crumbling and blowing away in the wind to be forgotten. It’s just really sad. I could ramble on about how I feel about everything, but I think we both know. It’s just a shame.
Sometimes I wish I didn’t have so many memories attached to it! But that place was like my refuge.
“And not some rotting cavity filled with broken down mowers, lawnchairs and ATVs. And probably dead animals. Actually, after my Pappap died, a “family friend” broke into that shed and stole most of his stuff, anyway (and later fell from a ladder, broke his neck, and died). So it’s likely filled with nothing but stale air and shitty fucking karma.”
My favorite part of this post. So much more than a good man died with your Pappap.