Dziadek

A couple of weeks ago I booked a ticket to take me to my family in England. It has been a while since I was last there and I felt a need to go and see how everyone was doing. In the six months since I last saw them Gran has been in hospital with pneumonia, the baby has been developing her feistiness and a fall put Grandpa in hospital too for a few weeks.

I was due to fly in a couple of weeks, via Brussels to hitch a lift with Mum and Dad.

Yesterday evening though, as I was coming to the end of my working day, Grandpa came to the end of his life.


He was a man who awed me when I was young; a natural authority. Grandpa held all the power and expected things to work his way. His tough outer shell fell away more and more as he got elderly though, and the last few times I saw him, he was a mellow, forgetful old man who had moments of brilliant clarity in which he let loose with his cutting wit.

He had been fading for some time, and he lived for 87 years, but the shock is never any less, however much you try to prepare for it.

I'll be in England sooner than I had planned.