My Grandfather

In this weekend, I went to Takasaki, Gumma Pref. where my grand parents live. My grandfather will be 88 years old in this Dec. and I hope that he will live till then. In addition to a bad disaster in northern part this year, we have very hot and humid summer here in Japan (temp. is around 35C in a daytime.).

Normally, once in a season I go to my grandparents place to talk with them.
But this time, the impression that I got from him was slitly different from the past visit.

As it is true, my grandpa has been in cancer for two years.
Regardless of the impossiblility of the operation, he could live for the past two years.
(We should say luck with that!) And past two years he barely to live with special medicine for his cancer.

However, this time of hot weather makes him tired and that could easily to understand even me.
While I was staying at grandpa. house, he wakes up in the morning and eats breakfast after that he take a nap.
In the afternoon, around two o'clock he eats lunch with us. Then he take a nap again before dinner.
In contrast, my grandmother works hard during the time, preraing the meal and do almost all house work. (This time I could help some.)
Even I could see that my grandmother could live because she can help him. Generally, it seems that my grandmother works very hard and my grandfa. is helped by her. But that was not thier relations (and thier realtions a bit more organized). They are helping each other as if she knows how long my grandfa. is going to live.
That was a sad moment for me to know their relations in this time but what I can do is just accept it quietly.

Tears came out of my eyes after I said good-bye to them. Especially at the last minute when I say good-bye to my grandpa, I said "Genkidene"(good for your health !), with shaking his hands tightly. I normally don't say Genkidene when we say good-bye, but this time I felt a little different feeling during the stay and that experience makes me say "Genkidene" quite naturally.

I know he is old with suffering from cancer and not to far from his death.
Though it is true, I want him to live as long as he can and I hope someday that I will report him that I am a teacher at elementary school.(what he's been thinking about me)

I feel that I have been already starting to accept with his death.

Yuji