Life Without Grandpa

Grandpa and Mama started to have differences as soon as she chose to marry my father.
When Grandpa realized Father was eight years older than his only daughter, my mother, he immediately stopped all contact with she and father. Still, Mama honored her father by naming her firstborn after him.

Father and Mama had five live babies, and two stillborn babies. As we grew up, Grandpa would pass us on the streets and he refused to speak to or acknowledge us in any way. Some of the other children around the area would tell us some things about our Grandpa, but we knew absolutely nothing. Mama wouldn't talk about him. She just became angry every time she heard his name.

Then, one day Grandpa decided to visit us. We were more than surprised. He didn't quite know how to act around us. He and Mama went off to themselves and talked and talked. It was as if they were trying to make up for all the time they had lost by not communicating all those years. After that, Grandpa came to our house every day.
If he didn't show up after a certain hour, Mama would go looking for him. This continued about ten years until his death. We all became so close. But, we still missed not having Grandpa in our lives when we were small kids. Better late than never, though!!