"Never the Same" by Maria Gaeta

As I was walking home from school, I got a text message. It was from my little sister. I just thought she was going to annoy me, but she was telling me grandpa was in the hospital. There was nothing I can do about that. I live here and he lives there. I was thinking about my grandpa on my way home. I just kept thinking that he will be ok. But when you’re an older person people keep thinking death.  I remember seeing my dad with sadness in his eyes. And my mom was pretty upset too. We get a phone call about two or three days later. It was good news; my grandpa was back at his house. That was the best news to my father. I was happy. But then about a couple of days later. He goes back to the hospital. I knew this time it was not going to be good news. My dad was sad again. My aunt was telling us how my grandfather kept talking and seeing death. That was a little strange. It kind of seemed like his life was going to be over. Sadly about a day or two, he passes away.  She got a phone call about one or two in the morning.  I didn’t know until I was heading out the door to go to school, I heard my mom talking to my brother. She had sadness in her voice, like she was crying. But I kind of guessed that the news was going to be terrible. My mom saw me and I was acting like I was not listening to their conversation. I wanted her to tell me. When she was about to tell me she stopped for a little, like she was thinking for the right words to say. Like telling a little kid something bad or sad. She looked at me and started to talk. “Grandpa died, he died this morning,” I stared at her, trying to keep my balance. I just did not know what to say. Or react. So I just headed out the door and left to school. I felt like crying I felt the tears coming, I did not want anybody to look at me like this. All I could do was smile, like I always do.  The whole day I kept thinking of my grandpa. I never realized how much I was going to miss him. My home was lonely and quite. It was like nobody lived there, it really killed everybody’s mood. Especially my father’s.  I never thought that it was going to be like this. Not this sad.