Goodbye Grandad

I'm sure at some point someone has lost someone they love. Here is my memories of my Grandad

I have a very vivid memory of things that happened when I was younger, it would seem my long term memory works a heck of a lot better than my short term memory.

My Grandad always used to make me laugh, may he rest in peace. He was Irish and was fond of the odd drink or two. Sometimes when he was drunk he would talk rubbish and tell us that he was speaking Gaelic. I don't really believe he ever was.

He had an armchair in the corner that none of us used to sit on. It was his. He would sit there watching the horses and waiting to see if he had won anything.

We used to have a golden retriever called Lady she was a soft touch. She loved going to my grandparents house, as soon as she knew that's where we were headed she would be tugging on the lead. Unlike when she knew we were going to the vets and she would lay in the middle of the road not budging until you promised to take her home!

So anyway Grandads favourite trick would be to call Lady over, he would feed her biscuits and then you always knew what was coming next 'fecking get down, fecking dog, hairs everywhere shoo away with ya!' But he would still keep teasing her with the biscuits.

Before we had Lady and when me and my brother were quite young I remember us going to some sort of farm, where we were going to have a picnic. So L, Mum,Dad,Grandma and Grandad and of course me were all sat at this table.

I remember this flock of geese coming from nowhere and surrounding the table. Well L jumped up and ran to the nearest tree house refusing point blank to come down until we were going home.
In the meantime my Grandad raises his walking stick and starts waving it in the air 'get away with ya' he felt I presume that they were given fair warning before he let his walking stick come down with a crashing blow on one of the geese.

I can never remember if that was the start or the end of the day, but I know we left that area pretty quick! The funniest thing was this one goose had followed L to the tree house and was waiting for him at the bottom. So when it was time to go he legged it to the car jumped on the car bonnet and refused to get off it until the car was unlocked. I'm not sure if he got bit by one but I am pretty sure he has a fear of geese now!!

Sadly my Grandad got dementia and it was sad to watch. You would go in and see him and this was a good few years since the dog had died, and he would ask where she was. I think the first few times we would explain to him what had happened. But seeing them grieve all over again just seems cruel so if memory serves me right after that we just used to say she was at home.

I will always regret not going to see him more often after I left Leicester, I had made plans with my friend to drive to Leicester in two weeks time, I was going to surprise them. The week before I was out with my friend waiting for my mum to come and join us for dinner at the pub when I got a phone call asking me to go home.

I knew there and then what had happened. It was a very difficult day his funeral, I did go and see his body, as I wanted to say goodbye. However, as the woman is leading us through. We are all assuming she will take us to a waiting room so we can go in one by one.

Nope she opens the door and without any warning there he is. When I looked at him I realised he had already gone. It wasn't him anymore, more like a wax work, without trying to sound disrespectful.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about that day. There had been a family feud, which I suppose is still going on and no-one really talks to anyone else. It was also the first time in many years that me and mum had seen L.

I got to place a rose with a message on top. I hope he got it. I believe that from time to time he comes and checks on me. I know he would approve of my Husband and I know if he had the chance to meet H he would have been besotted with her.

He was a funny man. Always telling stories, mainly the same ones. His favourite one being, you need to get that dog to the vet. Her nose is dry. I met a man in a pub once and he told me that if a dogs nose is dry it's ill.
Sleep tight Grandad, I'm sure we will meet again xxx