Well, there�s no getting around it. My grandma has to move out of that neighborhood. Aunt Abby called me last night and she sounded really upset. She�s sick with some pneumonia like illness and is trying to help Grandma out, but Grandma is haranguing her. I think my Grandma is hard on Abby sometimes..something to do with their communication.
Grandma bites Abby�s head off, a lot. I saw a little bit of that anger on Sunday when I went to visit. Grandma sounded mad that aunt Abby wasn�t over more often, but I couldn�t get Grandma to understand that Abby is sick.
As far as the move, Grandma is very, very reluctant. She�s mainly worried about the dog, Toy. How she will get her outside and go to the bathroom. Grandma is worried she�ll have to go down stairs, but I don�t think there�s stairs where she�s probably going.
She is also worried that Toy might bother her new neighbors.
�She�ll howl when I�m gone somewhere..� Grandma said, feebly.
Grandma�s lived in that rented $200 a month hellhole for 13 years. The house is in disarray; the foundation is cracking and leaning. Her living room has a downhill slope. Not even the presence of mice and bugs has deterred her from wanting to live there.
Until now.
It might be the crack-addicted prostitute named Ducky who hangs around her front door. It might be the fact that there are drive-by shootings on a daily basis. It might be the invisible divide between Crips and Bloods territory. It might be that she can�t take a walk or sit outside on her porch without drawing attention from unsavory types. It might be that Grandpa had died two years ago and she just put Grandpa�s dog down and there are too many memories there. It might even be the knowledge that just a month ago, her other daughter Abby was at White Castle buying double cheeseburgers and suddenly there were men with guns everywhere, blocking the only route of escape for this daughter. Daughter was terrified. And convinced that it was time for Grandma to go.
I think what would bother me is knowing that her daughter Joann (my mother) was murdered a few blocks over 22 years ago. That would make me not want to live somewhere. But that�s just me.
I think Grandma is scared. I would be too. It�s weird moving to new places. It�s weird living in a community environment, but you get used to it. Apartment living seemed weird to me, but I sort of like it now.
I want more for her. She took care of all of her kids and Grandkids growing up. The least she deserves is to live out her golden years in safety and tranquility.
There�s sadly no easy way out. Grandma is going to have to let us move her out of that godforsaken neighborhood. It needs to be a family effort too. Not just my uncle, my aunt and me. I think everyone needs to be involved. I got two volunteers. Romy and Rene�.
It shouldn�t take long.
But first we need to convince Grandma to move. That�s going to be a chore. I mean..I am scared every time I go into that neighborhood. I never get used to seeing burned out windows, broken glass and boarded up homes. I never get used to the fear of being robbed, or worse, murdered over money and a car. I�m going to have a new car..and I�m going into that neighborhood. Scary.
I�d like to not be afraid when I go visit. I think I would probably visit more too.
I want to tell a funny story about two cousins:
There were two girls, Lissy (me) and Wacky (which rhymes with her real name, but she is wacky anyway). They were in first grade together at Clay Elementary School. Both were 6 or 7 years old. Their mothers Joann and Abby were sisters.
Every morning, Wacky would walk from her house and meet Lissy at hers, and they would walk to school together. There was safety in numbers.
Wacky and Lissy were pretty close. Wacky was the more reserved of the two and less likely to get in trouble. Lissy was very mischievous and was always playing tricks on people. Even so..the cousin�s were inseparable.
One day, Lissy and Wacky met up in the bathroom. As they were chatting, a little girl we will call Sara, walked up to Lissy and said, �Hold my sweater!�
Sara skipped into a stall and left Lissy there holding the white sweater.
Lissy had other ideas about what to do with the sweater. So, Lissy and Wacky walked into one of the stalls. Wacky asked, �What are you doing now?� I think she knew, but she was afraid to ask.
Lissy grinned and unceremoniously dropped the white sweater into the toilet and flushed. Wacky was speechless, but then they both shrieked as the toilet started to back up.
Lissy and Wacky ran out of the stall. They decided to switch shirts so that nobody could tell who was whom�nobody would ever know who backed up the toilets.
They got caught. I don�t know what Wacky�s mom did, but my mom put me over her knee. Still, to this day, I snicker about my little revenge on that snobby Sara. It�ll teach her to treat people like that.
And that, my friends, is why I worry so much about my daughter Jackie. If she�s anything like I was, I�m in trouble. Too bad her cousin�s live in Tennessee. Kayla is 8 and Leah is 6. Jackie�s right in the middle. If you can get in trouble with anyone, it�s your cousin�s.
Isn�t that right, big Jackie, I mean, Wacky?
You have always been the troublemaker�ha ha.
10:41 am - September 14, 2004
Recent entries:
What you missed - January 16, 2012
%%older_entries%%From hell - October 19, 2010
%%older_entries%%a rant from a few weeks ago - August 17, 2010
%%older_entries%%Tired - June 20, 2010
%%older_entries%%A beautiful lie - March 11, 2010
%%older_entries%%
My profile
Archives
Notes
Diaryland
Random
RSS
others:
bluemeany
idontpretend
whinerwoman
flicka
kungfukitten
awittykitty
artofliving
thegrapevine
trancejen
chicagojo
ingridwrites
bettyford
myexodus
janie12975
vickithecute
drahmaqueen
ruachadonai
bipolarchild
thedetails
irisheyes70
sunshine0221
sallydallydo
allykitty5
dragprincess
tuckandsophi
taken-by-you
pajamamama
soulstyce
biodtl
thedevlyn
erianne1
jackprague78
r-y-r
nimiiwin
wifemotherme
boxx9000
poolagirl
marlen816
wilberteets
mom-on-roof
mpeacock
arianstar
thecrankyone
kayemess
amblus