Scrub
Jun 20, 2007, 01:10 PM
Now, some people at PSOW might know, but most probably don't. I was raised by a ton of different people until I was 8 years old, when my grandparents took me in. They were, and still are, the greatest people that I know. Up until that point I felt unwanted and unloved, getting shoved from relative to relative on a regular basis. They finally came in and gave me a home, and a stable enviroment.
For years, my Grandfather was the nicest that anybody had ever been to me. He always had time for me, to give me a laugh, to help me out if I had a problem, to give me advice. Nobody had ever been like that to me before, and I got really attached to him. He was always such a clown, joking around, and me and him would really annoy gramma with our pranks and the like.
When they moved, I moved with them, and they kept caring for me as I grew up. They took an interest in my schoolwork and grades, and I began to do really well in school. I was a horrible kid when I moved in with them, prone to fits of anger and rage, but since then they've taught me that I don't need to be like that, and I'm a really calm person nowadays.
Slowly over the years, my grandfather changed a bit. I guess you could call it turning into the 'grumpy old man.' He began to get like I used to, becoming incredibly angry at the slightest things. He would threaten to kill other people, and kill himself. I eventually got so sick of it that I started encouraging him to leave the house if he was going to act this way. It really hurt to see somebody that was my best friend, and used to kid around so much, change into somebody like that.
Just the other day my half-brother Nick was over, and we were having fun. My grandfather came out and said something along the lines of "Joe, I told you that if you wanted to go to the grocery store to get things to eat, I would take you." This was out of the blue, and I had no idea what he was talking about, so I said "No you didnt." He got into an unspeakable rage, screaming at me, calling me a 'fucking liar,' and the like. I was trying to keep calm and apologize and whatnot, but he only got angrier, until he picked up a chair and was about to hit me with it. He didn't thankfully, and walked away. We didn't talk much after that for the last few days he was alive.
Just last night, I was out on the side-porch taking care of the trash, and I heard the front door opening and people yelling. My uncle had come to the house(he lives here when he WANTS to, and is all around a bad person), and was of course being an asshole like usual. I couldnt exactly make out what they were saying, but I just ignored it, closed my door, and thought "They'll stop soon enough." Finally, I heard a loud crash followed by my grandmother screaming for me, so I rushed in, past my uncle who was muttering "Yeah that serves you right."
My grandfather was laying on the ground with his eyes open, breathing heavily. I panicked for a second before my grandmother called 9-1-1. Shortly after, he stopped breathing. My uncle came back, and together we straightened him out and began performing CPR. The paramedics were called. Eventually my grandfather began to breathe every 30 seconds or so, a long, drawn out, raspy breath. Paramedics arrived and took control of the scene, and eventually brought him into the ambulance and drove to the hospital. My grandmother and uncle followed in the car, but I couldn't because I can't stand to be in hospitals(perosnal thing).
I waited at home, surprisingly calm about the whole thing. I've never had a close family member be seriously in trouble like this/die(my mother died a year ago but I didnt know her well), and I always thought that it would wreck me. A close family friend called, saying my grandmother had told her to come down here and make sure Im all right. I told her if anyone needed somebody, it was my Gramma at the hospital. She agreed and went down there to meet her.
Half an hour later my 'father' called, and told me that my grandfather didn't make it. That was the guy I cared most about my entire life, and the man who cared most about me during mine. Out of all the crappy things that've been thrown at me, that was probably the worst thing I've ever heard. I didn't cry, or freak out, or anything, I just sat down for a good while thinking about how much I was going to miss him. He was the closest thing I ever had to a real father.
I don't know what I'm going to do without him.
For years, my Grandfather was the nicest that anybody had ever been to me. He always had time for me, to give me a laugh, to help me out if I had a problem, to give me advice. Nobody had ever been like that to me before, and I got really attached to him. He was always such a clown, joking around, and me and him would really annoy gramma with our pranks and the like.
When they moved, I moved with them, and they kept caring for me as I grew up. They took an interest in my schoolwork and grades, and I began to do really well in school. I was a horrible kid when I moved in with them, prone to fits of anger and rage, but since then they've taught me that I don't need to be like that, and I'm a really calm person nowadays.
Slowly over the years, my grandfather changed a bit. I guess you could call it turning into the 'grumpy old man.' He began to get like I used to, becoming incredibly angry at the slightest things. He would threaten to kill other people, and kill himself. I eventually got so sick of it that I started encouraging him to leave the house if he was going to act this way. It really hurt to see somebody that was my best friend, and used to kid around so much, change into somebody like that.
Just the other day my half-brother Nick was over, and we were having fun. My grandfather came out and said something along the lines of "Joe, I told you that if you wanted to go to the grocery store to get things to eat, I would take you." This was out of the blue, and I had no idea what he was talking about, so I said "No you didnt." He got into an unspeakable rage, screaming at me, calling me a 'fucking liar,' and the like. I was trying to keep calm and apologize and whatnot, but he only got angrier, until he picked up a chair and was about to hit me with it. He didn't thankfully, and walked away. We didn't talk much after that for the last few days he was alive.
Just last night, I was out on the side-porch taking care of the trash, and I heard the front door opening and people yelling. My uncle had come to the house(he lives here when he WANTS to, and is all around a bad person), and was of course being an asshole like usual. I couldnt exactly make out what they were saying, but I just ignored it, closed my door, and thought "They'll stop soon enough." Finally, I heard a loud crash followed by my grandmother screaming for me, so I rushed in, past my uncle who was muttering "Yeah that serves you right."
My grandfather was laying on the ground with his eyes open, breathing heavily. I panicked for a second before my grandmother called 9-1-1. Shortly after, he stopped breathing. My uncle came back, and together we straightened him out and began performing CPR. The paramedics were called. Eventually my grandfather began to breathe every 30 seconds or so, a long, drawn out, raspy breath. Paramedics arrived and took control of the scene, and eventually brought him into the ambulance and drove to the hospital. My grandmother and uncle followed in the car, but I couldn't because I can't stand to be in hospitals(perosnal thing).
I waited at home, surprisingly calm about the whole thing. I've never had a close family member be seriously in trouble like this/die(my mother died a year ago but I didnt know her well), and I always thought that it would wreck me. A close family friend called, saying my grandmother had told her to come down here and make sure Im all right. I told her if anyone needed somebody, it was my Gramma at the hospital. She agreed and went down there to meet her.
Half an hour later my 'father' called, and told me that my grandfather didn't make it. That was the guy I cared most about my entire life, and the man who cared most about me during mine. Out of all the crappy things that've been thrown at me, that was probably the worst thing I've ever heard. I didn't cry, or freak out, or anything, I just sat down for a good while thinking about how much I was going to miss him. He was the closest thing I ever had to a real father.
I don't know what I'm going to do without him.