I remember: Nanna

My nanna some people called her Kitty. She was a funny woman. When i first met her I was 7. She was a lovely lady. She was always feeding us stuff when we were there on our holiday. Porridge in the morning which I wouldn't eat being a brat. Cupcakes, yogurt and chocolate. She was a short fair skinned woman with grey hair and blue eyes. She always wore the same outfit. A skirt, top, cardigan, slippers, stockings and a coat if it was cold, the colours would just change day to day. She walked around with a brown walking stick. The top was carved into a horses head. She also had another stick which was just a plain brown spare one.

When I was a teenager she got run down by a motorbike. She didn't press charges she was too nice for that. But the hit gave her amnesia so she was always forgetting things. When we lived with her for 2 years it was really good. Come home from school sit down next to the fire and talk to nanna. She was always asking for something sweet like chocolate or toffee's. I used to give her that stuff aswell untl I heard she was diabetic. One day when I was living with nanna on my own she hadn't got up out of bed. This was unusual because she always was up before me. I went upstairs to see if she was ok. She was half hanging out of bed. So I helped her back up into her bed and she said "Thankyou." My auntie Eileen used to look after my nanna so I called her and asked what to do. She said she'd be over in a minute so I waited until Eileen got there. When I came home from school nanna was still in bed. So Eileen had been looking after her all day. I walked in to see how she was and she looked ok. So I went to Eileens house for dinner. During dinner Eileen had a concerned look on her face. After a while she hopped up and said "Something isn't right here. I better go check on mammy." So I followed her. When I arrived at nanna's she was still in bed and Eileen was by her side. Nanna looked terrible her tongue was hanging out and she was trying to speak but she couldn't, her eyes were really deep in her face aswell. Eileen told me to stay with nanna. So I kept saying "You'll be alright nanna, don't worry." Eileen called all the other uncles and aunties after calling the doctors. I stood in the doorway as the other reletives arrived all going in too see nanna waiting for the ambulance to arrive. I went into the house for a little while and my auntie Brigie was in the kitchen cleaning everything. I said "Are you OK?" and she just replied "I clean when I get worried." So I went back to my post until the ambulance came. When they came the doctor injected nanna with something insulin I think. She returned to normal almost instantly but she was strapped to a bed and taken to the hospital anyway Eileen went along aswell. The doctor said she was going into a diabetic coma.

After that when nanna came home I was really paranoid about anyone giving her sweets. But her attitude had changed towards meals. She wouldn't even eat them and often tried hiding them or throwing bits in the fire. If I caught her she would give me a cheeky grin at first I went along with it but after a while it was getting ridiculas so i started dobbing her in everytime.

Then we had to leave Ireland. Nanna was under constant care from my other Aunties and Uncles especially Eileen. But nanna got really sick after a while and had to be put into hospital. While she was there all she asked for was "Can I go home now?" but we had to tell her no all the time.

She started getting really skinny from not eating after a few months then she looked alright for a while and then finally past away. Mum was the only one in our family that went to nanna's funeral. We all wanted to go but couldn't afford it.

I couldn't believe my nanna was dead. It was surreal to me so I just didn't think about it. So after about three weeks a guy from work came up to my kiosk and asked me "Are you alright bro? You look a little down." I told him about my nanna passing away. Then it just kinda hit me so I closed the shop up early and went into the storeroom and had a cry. First cry I've had for a very long time.

She will be missed greatly.