Skip to main content

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.

---

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?”

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for reading this story. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment and consider consider sending a cup of coffee or sharing this story with a friend!