Preface - Gone And Away

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story."

I could hear my phone buzzing. It was the nursing home's number. A shock went through me; grandma. I quickly answered with a faint 'Hello?'

'Good morning. This is care home Swan Hill. Am I speaking to miss Parker?'
'Yes, is my grandma okay?' 'That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Your grandmother has passed away. She died in her sleep, it was peaceful. She didn't feel any pain.'

There was a silence and I suddenly felt so lonely. My grandmother was the only family I had. The only family I'd known. 'I'm sorry for your loss.' What was I supposed to do now? 'Listen, I know it's not easy...' I felt the tears running down my cheeks and stared motionless into the distance. I couldn't make sense of anything she told me. '… come get some of her things?' I was completely distraught and the tears kept coming. "Ma'am?" I tried breathing slowly in and out to calm myself down. 'Uhm, sure.' I said and shook my head. She was still talking, but I heard enough. I thanked her and ended our conversation.

I decided to call my best friend since kindergarten; Melanie. I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about it right away, though. In fact, I wanted to forget it ever happened. I wiped the tears from my face and sat down. I dialed her number, but she didn't pick up the phone.

I needed to get out of the house. I walked outside onto the porch and sat on the swing. I looked over my grandma's lavender garden. Whenever I was upset, the smell and the beauty of it always calmed me down. Sitting here, it was like she was still with me.

Then I heard my phone buzz again and I answered.
'Hello?' 'Hey, Lissa! I heard what happened. How are you?'
'I feel awful. I mean, I know she was old, but I never saw it coming. She was so full of life.'
'I know, I feel the same. I'm going to miss her so much. Can I do something for you?
I mean, anything?' 'Well, do you have time to pick up some of her stuff at the nursing home?'
'Sure! I'll see you soon. If there is anything else, just call me.'
'Thank you, you have no idea what this means to me.' 'See you!' 'Bye, Mel.'

I put down my phone. For once, I was glad we lived in a small town, where news like this spread like wildfire. I knew that, f I had to say it out loud, the tears would've come back again. Whenever I thought of my grandmother's death, the image of her, dead, cold and lying motionless on her bed came instantly into my mind. And I knew I would never hear the sound of her voice again.

I walked into the lavender garden. I lay down and looked up at the sky. I thought of all the times my grandmother told me about world war II and the British soldiers her family hid in their home. And, of course I remembered the stories about the times she fell in love. I closed my eyes. I hadn't realized how tired I was. And with those thoughts I drifted away.