When my grandfather died I asked my grandmother what made her so strong to survive her grief for our grandfather’s death.
She simply answered me, “Because I love him so much, and I know that he loves me more”.
Then I replied, “How can you say that? How did you know?”
“From the time I married him, when we were raising our children, and up to this day I never felt that I was taken for granted. I felt his love even without words said, even his simple actions conveys that he loves me very much. He never laid his hands on me and never hurt me. For more than fifty years of marriage he made me happy, I am so blessed that God gave me such wonderful husband. And now, I don’t have enough reason not to be strong, maybe God made him do those good things to me that I may have strength to face this trial, that when I think of him and all the things that he has done, I wouldn’t feel that he is not here, that when I close my eyes and lay out my palm I feel his palm pressed through mine. And that gives me the strength to face another day without him.”
We both smiled and hugged each other tight. It made me remember one morning when I slept over at my grandparents’ house.
I woke up to see my grandfather in the kitchen preparing a cup of coffee. He told me that we ran out of coffee for breakfast and that I have to buy some for my self, and since I found a sachet of ready to drink choco I told him I’m fine with the choco and I’ll just buy the coffee later at the grocery when I get from school. When I ‘m almost finished with my breakfast I’m wondering why is the cup of coffee which my grandfather prepared still lies at the table untouched. So when I saw him as he is making his way towards his garden I reminded him about the coffee. He told me. “That’s for your grandmother.”
As I was cleaning the table my grandmother coming from the garden got inside the kitchen, I told her that grandpa made a coffee for her. And I saw her smile, the exact same smile that I saw today, the same wrinkles coming out from the side of her parched cheeks, and a smile that says “Thank you, and I love you.”
We both missed grandpa.
She simply answered me, “Because I love him so much, and I know that he loves me more”.
Then I replied, “How can you say that? How did you know?”
“From the time I married him, when we were raising our children, and up to this day I never felt that I was taken for granted. I felt his love even without words said, even his simple actions conveys that he loves me very much. He never laid his hands on me and never hurt me. For more than fifty years of marriage he made me happy, I am so blessed that God gave me such wonderful husband. And now, I don’t have enough reason not to be strong, maybe God made him do those good things to me that I may have strength to face this trial, that when I think of him and all the things that he has done, I wouldn’t feel that he is not here, that when I close my eyes and lay out my palm I feel his palm pressed through mine. And that gives me the strength to face another day without him.”
We both smiled and hugged each other tight. It made me remember one morning when I slept over at my grandparents’ house.
I woke up to see my grandfather in the kitchen preparing a cup of coffee. He told me that we ran out of coffee for breakfast and that I have to buy some for my self, and since I found a sachet of ready to drink choco I told him I’m fine with the choco and I’ll just buy the coffee later at the grocery when I get from school. When I ‘m almost finished with my breakfast I’m wondering why is the cup of coffee which my grandfather prepared still lies at the table untouched. So when I saw him as he is making his way towards his garden I reminded him about the coffee. He told me. “That’s for your grandmother.”
As I was cleaning the table my grandmother coming from the garden got inside the kitchen, I told her that grandpa made a coffee for her. And I saw her smile, the exact same smile that I saw today, the same wrinkles coming out from the side of her parched cheeks, and a smile that says “Thank you, and I love you.”
We both missed grandpa.
From E.R. Abuan
