Category: Short Story

“Old age Home”

Today is just another day. Another Friday at home. I can hear my mom’s voice whisper to my sister “Can you bring me a lighter”. I know my mom and dad and my sister are waiting outside of my bedroom door to wish me my birthday. I’m not excited though. My dad promised me, he would take me to grandma’s home on my birthday. I have been waiting for this day since last month. But yesterday we had to cancel our trip to Bangladesh. Our flight was canceled because of COVID 19 restrictions on visiting my grandma’s homeland. It’s been 8 years since I haven’t seen my grandma, she moved back to her country after my grandpa died. All my relatives say my face looks like her. Sometimes I wonder “am I going to look like her when I’m 65!”. Last week when my mom called “Nelima’s home care” to let her know we are coming to see her. A happy tone of voice came through the land phone. Still, I don’t know if dad informed her about our flight. Maybe she is waiting for us at her doorknob.

     I still can remember the day she was telling me at the airport “Here is my two ear ring, don’t lose it, that is the last memory I have for your grandpa and you grandpa was a really good man” with a blank stare with a hint of a smile.

     After she left I never saw my dad talking about my grandpa. Once I asked my elder sister why grandma is not living with us?

    She replied, “I don’t know. I miss her so much“. Her face looked faint.

   “ Do you remember those days, when mom and dad used to go to their clinics? How grandma had to do all the housework. They were so busy with their work. We could barely spend time together with them.”

  “I wish I Could live with grandma”. It seems like she would start to cry.

 “But why did grandma decide to go back to her homeland”. I asked my sister.

     “ I really don’t know . But after grandpa died, dad had an argument with grandma and grandpa’s lawyer. Because grandpa wrote all his property to the orphans and a nursing home ”.

     That day was the first time I learned about nursing homes. “Old age homes” are meant for senior citizens who are unable to stay with their families or are destitute.

     I don’t want to get off of my bed. I just want to hold my grandma’s hand. I want to feel her smell.

   I need to open my drawer and find those earrings. I would keep this in my pocket the whole day. At least I could hold something that has grandma tig.