A few weeks ago, after about a year of waiting for the time to be right, I called my grandmother.
The last time I actually saw her was eight years ago. We hadn't talked for a few years, but it was not for lack of her sending birthday cards.
Once I filed for divorce and moved out of the house, I thought, "Great! Now I can call Miss Rita!" But...I had just filed for divorce and moved out of the house, and I didn't know what can of worms I'd be opening when I called, and I wanted to see her but wouldn't buy plane tickets until I knew for certain that I wouldn't be in court.
So now, the divorce is done and I have a permenant address for this year's birthday card (because you can be sure my ex-husband didn't forward me my card from last year).
I took a few breaths and dialed.
her (she sounded exactly the same): Hello?
me: Hi, Miss Rita! It's Angela!
her: Hey, Sugar! How ARE you??
No fewer than four times did she say some derivation of "I'm just tickled pink that you called!" "Oh! I'm just thrilled!"
This is the only picture I have of the two of us together. I did have a few from college graduation, but those were inexplicably missing when I went back to the divorce house to collect my things.
Scrapped in 2007.
So, I'm flying out to see her at the end of March. According to her husband, she's already told everyone she knows that I'm coming. : )
