People can be compared to seasons, they are born, they bloom, then they ebb away. Like spring, summer, and autumn they cannot stay.
My grandmother was due to a much greater life than the one that was given to her. She was a fighter, a survivor, and the most gorgeous person I knew. She emitted poise, sophistication, and grace. I consider her not only the most influential individual in my childhood, but of my entire life so far.
My parents and I lived in Pakistan, in a small colony, with my grandparents just within walking distance. I didn’t have many friends when I was younger, I was one of the shy ones. With my mom being at the university and my dad at work all the time, my only source of human interaction was running over to grandma’s house every evening after school. Days were hot, so every day after school I would dash up the stairs to her house and she would pour me glacial cold water out of the fridge. My grandma was my everything, we did everything together. While we did argue and not get along all the time, I never felt safer and more loved then when I was in her company. When I was 2 years old, my grandma or as I called her ‘Nanny’, had a paralysis attack, the left side of her body was fully paralyzed. It took a long time but she did recover. After the attack, she wasn't the same. Nanny’s motor skills were weak, some of her memory was gone because of all the blood clots in her brain, she didn't remember her alphabet and couldn't write properly, she had to learn everything again.
After a year she recovered and was given a clean bill of health. We were all jubilant, and I was so glad to have my best friend by my side once again. When I was in 2nd grade, Nanny was diagnosed with tuberculosis. It all started with chest pain and trouble breathing. I didn't know what to do. She had to be taken to the hospital for weekly checkups, the doctors always said that she will get better eventually if she takes her medicine on time. After around 6 months, the doctors informed us of good news, or at least we thought it was. They said that Nanny’s lungs were clearing up, she will be healthy and normal once again. We were all happy, and after that check-up, mom took us to a restaurant for lunch, we even had the traditional Indian ice cream that Nanny adored. Everyone was so happy.
This was at the time when our parents had applied for immigration to Canada. It was a cold and chilly morning, we were supposed to go for our passport renewal that morning, and when we would come back in the afternoon and have lunch at Nanny’s, she was going to cook her ‘world-famous’ red lentil curry and white rice, but apparently, she had other plans. As we were all getting in the car, grandpa called and said to my mom, that “your mother doesn't have much time left, she wants to see you and her grandsons”. My mom dropped the phone in shock, and all of us rushed up the stairs to her house and saw her there laying on the couch, we quickly got the people from downstairs to help us get her in the car quick, because the ambulance would take too much time to get here. Dad and grandpa took her to the hospital. I, mom and my little brother were waiting at our house. Mom had tears in her eyes, praying that grandma would be alright. About an hour later, Dad and grandpa were climbing up the front stairs of our porch, but there was no sign of Nanny. My mom was confused and asked dad where Nanny was, dad hugged her tightly and said, she has passed. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she fell on the floor asking dad to take back his words. She was broken, the doctors said that it had been too late, her lungs were fully expired. I will never forget that moment, Nanny, with no life in her once glistening eyes, laying on the hospital bed, cold and lifeless. I was given some time to say goodbye but it never felt long enough. That day was the last day that I saw her, and it was not in the way that I had hoped.
It has almost been 10 years since Nanny has passed, and I would be lying if I said that it's still not hard. Every day before I go to school, I think of her and everything she went through and pray to God that she may be in a better place. A place that is free of the worldly problems and conflicts, a place free of stress and tension that she faced when she was living. She faced many problems and struggles throughout her life. The grief comes at random times and lingers for days, but she never leaves my mind. I love my grandma more than anyone that I've met in my entire life. I hope she's in a better place now and that I will meet her sometime soon.