Remembering

Martin Luther King Jr. He was a great man that influenced the world. Even though it’s Martin Luther King Day, there’s something much more close to my heart on this day.

I was 11. Dad was in the Bahamas for work. It was only his second week of working at a new job. I went about my day as usual. Woke up, went to school. My mom and I went to the grocery store after school. We called Gram to ask if she wanted any oranges. She loved oranges so much. We didn’t get an answer so we supposed she was taking a nap. Mom and I went back to the house and unloaded the groceries. Chrissy and Allen (my siblings) Frank (my stepdad), Mom, and I decided we would go to Applebees for dinner.

We stopped at Gram’s before Applebees to give her the oranges we got. The front door was locked. She wouldn’t answer the door. The vibe in the air immediately changed. We all knew. No one was crying yet. We went around to the side, where a window was unlocked. My brother climbed through the window and unlocked the front door. My stepdad told us to stay downstairs. I sat on the blue chair while my heart was in panic. I heard the footsteps of my stepdad coming down the steps. He looked at my mom and nodded his head. The tears broke out. It was the second loved one to die, but she was the closest to my heart. It wasn’t okay and I didn’t know what to do. Daddy didn’t even have a phone in the Bahamas. We couldn’t even call him to tell him that his mom had passed. My sister was the worse-off. I had never seen her like that before.

We got back in the car, and my stepdad stayed back. As we pulled out of the neighborhood, a police car was pulling in. We tried all night to get a hold of Dad, but there was just no way. I went to bed that night with my heart in angst and sadness.

But today I do not mourn, I remember. I remember the good times and all the smiles we shared with Gram. I remember our weekly trips to Dollar General and the weekend movie nights. I remember how much we all loved watching Mr. Bean together. I remember how she would make me hot tea and how she loved to eat pickles, the really big ones. (just like Snooki!) I remember her really disliking Virginians, her hometown of Pennsylvania was much better. And what I remember most about Gram is her great hugs and how much she loved her son and grandchildren.