My Treasure (Part IV)

I arrived at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s early in the evening Thursday just in time to join them for dinner. I felt a little awkward and on edge because I didn’t know if I would be able to handle helping to take care of Grandpa. It was my first time, and I didn’t want to get anything wrong.

After supper, we went for a drive near Tawas Lake. It wasn’t a very large lake. In fact, it was very peaceful and quiet. Grandpa always liked driving out there. It was part of where he would do his trapping in the winter. But even now that he was too old to trap, he still liked going there because it was pretty, and he was able to be among God’s beauty. I could see it in his pale blue eyes and the pleasant smile on his sweet face. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like for him if he couldn’t have that beautiful lake or his sense of home.

When we arrived back at the house, Grandpa appeared to be more restless than usual. Grandma said he had slept well the last few nights, so his unrest surprised me. It was 11:00 pm, when we finally got him to bed. Two hours later my Grandma knocked on my bedroom door.

“Grandpa wants to tell you something, sweetie.”

“Okay. I’m up. I’m coming,” I relied.

I got out of bed and followed her to their room. When I got there, Grandpa was sitting up in bed, with a concerned look on his toothless face. He said something to me, but I found it hard to understand because he was mumbling. I felt tense at the moment, and I didn’t quite know what to say because I didn’t know what he’d said. Grandma knew I felt uneasy. She looked at me with understanding and said, “You can go back to bed, Jill, it’s okay.”

“Good night, Gram.”

At 3:00 in the morning, the clomp, clomp, clomp of my Grandpa’s footsteps outside my bedroom door woke me. I had to chuckle because, whenever my sisters and I would stay at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s house, he used to threaten to pour water on us in the morning if we didn’t get up.

“Jill, Lynn, Gale, get up or I’ll get the water,” Grandpa said.

“No, no, no. We’re up,” I replied.

We could hear him coming, because the clomp of his shoes gave him away. Exactly like I heard it just now. Only now, I knew he wasn’t going to throw water on me.

“Jill, get up and come out in the kitchen and talk to me,” said Grandpa.

“Sure, Grandpa.”

When I got to the kitchen, Grandma was standing there. She said, “Go ahead and lay down on the couch. He really doesn’t need anyone to be up with him. He’ll be okay.”

At 5:00 am I was awakened again by Grandpa. He was in the middle of getting dressed and needed some help.

“Jill, Jill, wake up will ya.”

“Yes, Grandpa. What do you need?” I asked.

“Help me with my shirt.”

When we finished, he sat down in his recliner and looked at me as I lay on the couch.

“I love you, Jill,” said Grandpa.

“I love you, too, Grandpa.”

“Do you really?” he asked.

“Yes, Grandpa. I do.”

I woke up at 7:00 am and found my grandparents sitting at the table. Grandpa looked sad.

(To Be Continued)