Goodbye Grandpa & Epicurean Veggie Pad Thai

We called my Dad’s parents, Granny and Grandpa. We lived in the west end of Winnipeg and they lived in the north end but we saw them often and regularly. We spent the eve of every holiday at their house eating Ukrainian staples like cabbage rolls, pierogies and schmaltz. They cooked all day! Turkey, ham, meatballs, veggies, head cheese and all different types of pickled items! My Grandpa loved to make every holiday magical with sleighbells on Christmas Eve and “Easter bunny poop” he had found on the front porch.

My memories of him as a child are full of candy, laughing, singing, and happiness. My Sister and I would sleep there for the weekend and we would rent the funniest movies and Grandpa would feed our bellies full of candy that he kept in a giant Rubbermaid garbage can near his chair. He made the most AMAZING silver dollar pancakes in the morning!!! Grandpa loved the horses! Him and I would spend all weekend pouring over stats and race information before placing our bets. Sometimes he would even take me to the track and let me place my own bets at the window! Win, place and show. In the fall we would go over and help dig up potatoes and in the summer we would shuck corn.

My grandparents didn’t have a lot of money but they always had special treats for us, lots of hugs and kisses, and special cards written out by hand from Granny and Grand”poo” 💛. 

Something happened. Granny and Grandpa stopped coming around and we didn’t see them for years. I called them and invited them to my graduation and my Granny was excited to go but my Grandpa took the phone away and said, “I don’t have a granddaughter named Kristin.” I was angry and I was sad. When they sent me a graduation card stuffed with money, I returned it.

A few years later we found out through my Uncle that my Granny was in the hospital and she was about to receive quadruple bypass surgery. Of course, I planted my ass in her hospital room and refused to leave. At first my Grandpa was angry and then… He grew softer. He reminded me of my Grandpa from childhood. As Granny recuperated, I kept on coming back and our relationship continue to grow. After a few months I talked to my parents and I talked to my grandparents and I organized a family get together. After years of no contact it appeared like nothing had ever happened! Whatever anger the adults had, they let go of. Our family relationships picked up where they had left off many years before.

When my parents moved to BC it was up to my Bro, Sis, and I to keep in contact with our grandparents and look after them. Ninja got along with my grandparents very well and even when we were broken up he still went over there to install their air conditioner and to mow their lawn ❤️. Granny and Grandpa loved to come over to the house that Sis and I shared and Granny would called me daily at work just to say hi!

In January 2006 Granny caught a cold that she just couldn’t shake. We knew something was wrong because their visits were few and far between. They blamed it on the weather but even when we went to their house, Granny was frail and Grandpa would carry her to the bathroom from the couch. We knew something was wrong. Grandpa took her to the hospital at the beginning of February and 2 weeks later she passed away of stage 4 lung cancer.

It was the worst day. It was the worst 2 weeks actually! My Sister and I took turns staying there by her bedside and looking after Grandpa. We called Mom and Dad and told them they better come soon. When the doctor told me she would have maybe 2 weeks to live, he asked me to talk with my Grandfather. Apparently, Grandpa was not listening to him and refused to talk to him anymore. It was terrible. I hated seeing him cry. Sob. My Granny was the love of his life and they were inseparable. It was heartbreaking. On the morning that she died it was freezing out! One of the coldest mornings I can ever remember! When I ran out the hospital doors because the walls were closing in and I just couldn’t seem to breathe, my tears froze on my cheeks. I gasped for air and the cold hurt my chest. It was awful. She was the first family member that we had lost.

Grandpa and my relationship was never the same after that. He always blamed me. I think he knew that was unreasonable but his heart was broken and he didn’t care who he hurt because he was hurting so badly himself. My family had a hard time accepting his behaviour and over the years we all grew estranged.

I kept trying though. I invited him to every Christmas and every major event. Ninja and I still visited him often even though he asked us to stop.

It wasn’t until I was pregnant with HBear that I saw him smile again. Right before I was ready to pop I remember going to Grandpa’s house with my Mom and my Brother. Grandpa was even making fun of my big fat belly 😂.