Shady Acres Care Home. This was the banner in front of the building I was moving to. I was going to meet my parents inside so that we could bring Gramps to Gramma's grave and then have a family dinner. It was the anniversary of her death, after all.
I loathed visiting him at the care home, as the place always felt wrong. The depressing aura of lonely old people that can't take care of themselves, and the sadness of their families soaked the place, and it didn't take a psychic to feel it.
Even if I know why my grandfather came here after grandma's death, sometimes I can't understand how pride can make you decide to live like this.
I understand that he doesn't want his family to see him wither away and be a burden, but it isn't easy to stay away and watch the people you care about surrender to the events...
While I move towards the building, a whiff of something catches my attention, making me stop in my tracks as I try to understand what is making me uncomfortable.
Something was different in the aura of the place this afternoon, there was something, like a remnant of old power and glory, but clouded...
Soon my thoughts are interrupted when I see my parents leave the building with my grandfather, and I hear them greet me.
"Hello Jiji, how are you today?" I asked while moving to them and hugging my grandfather.
"Ah, Sig-kun, everything is good..." He replies with a good smile while patting my hair.
Taking my time, I squint my eyes and study him, noticing all the changes that happened since the last time we met, before replying, "Really? You use the cane more than last time, and your breath is more ragged."
After my words, he stops for a moment, processing my words, before mumbling in a low voice."... Young people nowadays have no respect from their elders..."
"I'll be respectful when you stop being stubborn," I reply, staring into his eyes with the tone of someone that already had this conversation a million times. After all, we already had.
"Pfff, I lost all my expectations of having a filial grandson years ago," Gramps replies with a crooked smile, unwilling to back down, as usual.
"Don't lose hope, there are still Chika-chan and Ken-kun. They are still kids, so if you stay with them long enough, they may grow filial." Knowing how to respond, I reminded him that he still has my little cousins to mold.
"You are right, maybe for them, there is still hope," he replies, trying without success to rile me up.
"Then you should move there, or they will be corrupted by evil America," I say back, more used than him in twisting my words.
Turning to my mother, he says after sighing, "I shouldn't have permitted your marriage with a European. They always bring disrespect and chaos."
Snorting at his words, my mother replies, "Like you could have stopped me, old man."
"Sometimes I fail to understand how my cute and obedient girl turned into her..." He says to my father, turning to him only to be punched on the shoulder by Mom.
"Ahi! Don't punch old people. You could break their bones!" Shouting for the surprise, Gramps starts cursing at Mom before she roars back, "Then stop spouting nonsense and move, old man!"
It doesn't take long for us to reach the cemetery and move in front of grandma's tomb. Here the rest of our family is already waiting for us, with both my cousins and their parents occupied with changing the flowers.
As soon as they noticed us approaching them, my cousins started to run to my Grampa, hugging him while greeting us.
"Ken-kun, Chika-cha, how are my favorite grandchildren doing?" Asks Grampa, while smirking at me.
I roll my eyes at his words, fully conscious of how this is all a ruse from him to make me feel guilty about not being filial enough.
Not that he will ever succeed...
"Jiji, we missed you!" The twins said at the same time.
It must be understood that they were used to staying with Gramps, differently from me. He lived with their family for years before he decided to move into the care home when the effects of old age started to show.
He always hated the feeling of hopelessness that growing old and feeble carried on and finding himself unable to move as he did was something terrible for a martial artist. Considering the desire to not be a burden together with the unwillingness to be seen as he grows old and feeble, it's not surprising that he decided to retire to a care home.
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After the greetings and a bit of small chat, we finally move in front of the grave of Obasaasan. There, we take our time, each of us giving a small prayer for her soul. Soon all but Gramps, mum, and uncle leave the grave, mostly to let them have a bit more time, as they have more to say.
As we move a bit far, we start chatting a bit in two groups, one of us youngsters, and one made by the two adults.
"So, Ken, Chika, how are you doing? How is middle school?" I asked, curious about how my cousins were doing.
"It's going well, cousin. We are finally learning some things. Elementary school was soo boring..." Replies Ken with a smirk, trying to look older and smarter.
Hearing his words, I start laughing hard, before saying, "I remember when you were stumped trying to learn your multiplication tables a couple of years ago."
"That's because math is boring..." Murmurs a now blushing Ken, embarrassed by having his dark past of failing math put in front of him.
"If you say so..." I reply with a smirk, trying to embarrass him more.
"Cousin, you are mean..." He replies, nearly tearing at my words and expression.
"Chika, am I mean?" I ask his twin, fully knowing that she wouldn't let an opportunity to bully his brother go unused.
"Well, yes. Pointing out my brother's obvious inabilities is mean." She replies with a serious expression, trying not to smirk at her own words.
"Chika!" Ken shouts, even more, embarrassed by his sister's words.
"What? It's the truth. Don't worry, I won't stop caring for you only because of your stupidity." Chika replies while patting her brother's back, trying to sound gentle and caring.
"I hate you." He replies while tears nearly fall from his eyes, bothered by his sister and my jokes at his expense.
"I love you too, bro." She says while keeping the patting, causing me to explode in another round of laughter.
Seeing the scene, our parents can't do anything else but sigh while shaking their heads, fully accustomed to this kind of scene.
After that, not a lot happens, as we bring Gramps back to the Shady Acres Care Home, as the curfew for the guests is early, near 7 o'clock.
As we bring him back, I feel the same feeling that I had earlier as if something important was going on, but once again, I wasn't able to catch its meaning.
Unable to think of a reason, I decided to let it go, not caring about a possible situation that I wouldn't be able to define. After all, I knew about the major events of the next couple of years thanks to the knowledge I was given at my reincarnation.
Whatever it is, it mustn't be important, or I know it after all...
After leaving Gramps at his care home, we moved to my uncle's house, where we planned to have a family dinner with his family.
Chatting a bit with him and my aunt, I am finally asked about Peter. They waited till now because I still had to tell my boyfriend to my Gramps, as I know that, differently from the rest of the family, he wouldn't approve.
As the thought appears in my mind, a sudden sadness envelops me, the knowledge that someone I care about will not acknowledge my life choices hurts deep in my soul. And while I understand that it is because he can't understand them due to his upbringing, I can't accept this part of him.
Refocusing on the present, I start telling them about him and our relationship when suddenly my phone starts buzzing.
"Speaking of the devil, it seems that Pete needs me for a moment," I say after seeing the caller identify that interrupted us.
Unsure of what he will tell me, I take my space, unwilling to let someone hear something that shouldn't.
"What's up, buddy?" I ask as the call connects, curious about the reason behind the sudden call.
The silence stretches for a couple of seconds, before he replies with a preoccupied voice, "well, Sig, something unexpected happened..."