Writing Class Assignment #1

The two hour drive to my hometown for grandma’s funeral seemed to be taking forever but I used the time to remember Grandma.


95 years on this earth and Grandma was gone. I was saddened but not as saddened as her 6 grandsons. Until the day grandma died it seemed she had a grandson living with her, just had a grandson living with her or had one or more grandsons living with her.

Being the only granddaughter it would not be surprising if I felt some animosity towards those grandsons. However, my awareness that these boys needed a nurturing and responsible presence in their lives canceled out any ill feelings I might have had. Their only chance at respectability would have to come from grandma.

A smile graced my face as I remembered walking into her home several years ago only to find the air laced so heavily with marijuana smoke that it singed my nostril hairs. I berated the grandsons/cousins as I headed to the kitchen where I found grandma baking away.

“Grandma, how are you today?” I queried, testing the waters before ratting on the boys.

“Grandma turned to me with a larger than life smile on her face and replied, “I haven’t felt this good in years!”

I hate tardiness and the traffic has been horrible. I will be late for my own grandmother’s funeral mass. Now we will have to sit in the rear of the church as opposed to behind the pallbearers. Grandma had requested that her six grandsons be pallbearers and I really wanted to be able to smell which ones were sober.