Memoir, Daniel Metz

“Lucy and Mario were like another set of grandparents to me”, I loved them both. I was at Lucy's funeral saying my final words. “Although they have passed we still have their memories. Dinner at Jonathans, the dancing, and many others.” I am sure that you all know how hard it is to let go of a loved one” I said to the teary crowd. “But now we can be happy that they are together forever. Whenever I hear the song “I’ll never smile again” I remember the fun my old neighbors used to have dancing. They were at least 80 years old each and they still loved each other. When Mario died and I didn’t hear footsteps I got worried so I ran upstairs to find Lucy sitting where Mario used to sit. I asked what was the matter. She said “his is the day we used to dance”. I held her hand and said even though he’s gone you still have his spirit and the music” and on that note I pulled her up and danced, we danced to all the oldies and had fun. It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time and I think she had a good time too I remember that my family went out with the Mondells every month to Jonathan’s restaurant. I would always have the grilled cheese sandwich, my brother and sister with the chicken fingers and French fries. “You’ll both turn into chickens one day” my grandma would always say eating her tuna platter. Lucy and Mario would always share a Tuscan chicken sandwich with barley and mushrooms I still remember the smell and whenever I smell it that always cheers me up inside. Whenever we have happy memories we try to pencil-sketch our previous life so we can contrast to the Technicolor of the moment. I think it was the saddest day of my life when Mario died. All others days seem like a cakewalk but if I had to relive it I wouldn’t be able to handle it. Some say that your brain twists and bends to deal with the hardships of life I think on that day my brain snapped in half. The year was 2002 it was nearing the beginning of summer and I had just been let out of school. I jumped from the bus and was in a particularly good mood because extended day was cancelled that day. I after school I would always go upstairs because nobody was home by the time I got there and they had cable TV and soda. After watching a little “Hey Arnold” I called “Mrs. Mondell…Hello…Mr. Mondell…Are you there?” so I walked towards the back of the house and I saw Mario sleeping on the sofa. I thought to myself “He never sleeps on that couch it hurts his back”. I went to wake him up by tapping his shoulder. It pains me even to write this. I remember after a while I knew something was wrong I ran down the hall and grabbed the phone and gravely dialed my moms cell phone. 1516…6? I couldn’t remember it so I did the only thing I could do dial 911. I hysterically plead to the emergency hotline to “come over quickly please I think my grandpa is dead” I didn’t know why I called him grandpa it just seemed right. When they finally came, along with my parents they rushed him to the hospital but there was nothing they could he’s been dead for 3 hours. I don’t know when I stopped crying that night but that night I had a dream of one that afternoon me and him were standing in the sunset and he turned to me and smiled and for one brief moment all was right in my world.