Dedushka

The following is a short story I wrote about my grandfather that was read at his funeral. A fan of the arts and theater, the story is an idealized version of his final moments. He passed away peacefully at the age of 96. I will forever miss you and hope that indeed this was how things passed.

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I find myself standing in a familiar room. At the center there is a small cafe-like table, draped on a white tablecloth with some food on it. I notice that my leg no longer hurts. In fact, it feels far more nimble than I could remember.

I hear faint classical music playing in the background as I walk towards the table. I see a single chair, a piece of paper with my name on it and what looks like a cup of tea, some rustic bread, with butter and a slice of kielbasa.

To my delight, I smile and sit in the chair and start eating. The bread was warm, freshly made, the butter rich with a hint of salt, and the tea strong and sweet. I close my eyes as I enjoy the sound of the music humming along and waving my hand as if I were the conductor.

After taking my last bites and sips of tea, I decided to see where that music was coming from. 

Opening the only door in the room, I enter a brightly lit hallway. It was half inside and half outside. Like a garden in the clouds. The music was louder and more grand. At the end of the hall I see a glowing golden door, so I figure to take a stroll. 

Passing the other doors, I see family and friends waving, chatting, all greeting me with a warm smile. I say hello back, waving with joy. The music gets louder as I get closer to the door. I hear the voices of my grandchildren. I couldn't understand why they sounded sad. I was happy, there was nothing for them to worry about.

As I reach the door handle, a warm feeling fills me up. The people from the rooms are smiling and waving in the hallway. Smiling back, I open the door and a bright golden light shines so bright that it took my eyes a moment to adjust.

There before me I saw her, sitting at a table with a book in front of her and a cup to her side. Ganya looked up, tilted her head and said, “You know how long I’ve been waiting for you?”