ASSIGNMENTS:
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Chelsea van der Mije
Ona, Florida USA
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REPORTS:
PREVIOUS NEXT
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I went home from college to see my GiGi who is 90something years old. She drives a little red sports car most of the time. I also visited my aunt who is 40something years old. She has three kids and all kinds of cancer. She is my mother's bestfriend. Doctors and family members and others say they are both dying. My Aunt K has had three months to live for 12 years now so I dont really know what to think, I guess you are either dead or alive, and I guess everybody is dying.
I said to my GiGi when are you going home? She said, "Where's home?" She said she didnt want to go back to the home unless they had wine. She told me about a harpist she wanted to take me to see. She suggested that I learn to sing in Gaelic. She winked at the male nurse. My mother asked if she was afraid, she said she had lived a full life, had two loving parents, five children, had traveled the world. She adored Japan. But India smelled like pee. I cried. My mother noticed that she didnt say anything not a word about PopPop, Grandpa Victor, who was her husband.
My mom keeps bribing my aunt to stay alive. She says, "If you live a bit longer, Cancerpants Power Ranger, you can come see the Boss with us at the St.Pete Times Forum." We went together, Aunt K had a cider beer in spite of her gimpy liver. The lights went up when Bruce sang Born To Run and Karen said she wanted 40,000 people at her funeral. My Aunt Molly said she wanted to see me play the harp onstage someday in front of 40,000 people. Karen said, "Yeah, at my funeral."
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