In Loving Memory...
Since Katrina and before, my grandma had been on a downward spiral. Physically she was ok, but mentally, she was steadily going. Didn't remember who anyone was, forgot things a lot within a matter of minutes, things like that. She had been staying up in Missouri with my aunt. Every once in a while we would get progress reports on her and such. We knew she was on a decline. It was steady, but at the same time it was in a sense a quick decline.
Meanwhile, back at home, I'm happily enjoying myself in my little world of Shaiya. When I first started the game, I started on April 1, 2008. A few weeks went by when I actually got into a guild. One of the girls, who went by the name of Pookie- (-Pookiness-, then Pooks.) was the first I really "made friends with." She practically took me under her wing and really helped me get a feel for the game. She was always there to help me and always answered my questions. She was like the sunshine of the guild chat.
One day she left to join DragonReign, which is the top guild on the Lailah server. I missed seeing her in Most Wanted's guild chat and thought that she might turn into one of those elitists who forget about the "little people." She never did. She always told me hello when I'd cross paths with her. There came the time when I wanted to join DR but was too scared. I got the invite and found out she was behind it in a way. Little me got into the top guild. I was beside myself knowing I'd see her around a lot again.
I knew she was sick a lot but she never said why. It didn't stop her sweet spirit at all. When I found out she had cancer, it broke my heart. She assured us she'd get through it and she would be around in game a lot more. About a week ago, I tried to craft some sonic boots but I wound up breaking the lapis. I would never be able to afford more sonic lapis or a pair of already linked boots. A friend, Ignatius, gave me Pookie's boots to borrow until she came back in game. I asked how she was doing and Ignatius told me she was just getting over pneumonia.
April 1, 2009 rolled around. I was so excited to be celebrating my one year anniversary on Shaiya. I woke up that morning not able to wait to tell everyone that I had been playing for a year. It was a big deal. I wanted to be happy about it, but the thought of my grandma kept sticking in my head. We knew how bad my grandma was doing. We just hadn't heard yet how bad.
we get a phone call that night from my uncle telling us that my grandma's oxygen count is way low and that she was refusing to wear the respirator. She had just gotten over pneumonia (like Pookie). I did what I normally did when I couldn't handle bad situations and got on Shaiya to keep my mind occupied. Things went as usual, but I was nervous. Same went for all the next day. Dad took to the road on an 11 hour drive from New Orleans to Pomona to be with his mother. Every hour he'd call Mom while on the road. We all stayed behind to take care of things here. It was only immediate family going to see her.
I was super upset to begin with. I get home, check the DragonReign guild website and see people posting things about Pookie being a real angel and all this stuff. I got scared. When I found the post I didn't want to find it was all there. She had lost her battle with cancer and passed away the night before on April 1, 2009. I just sat behind my computer and cried like a baby. Of course, the whole guild was pretty much a support group for each other, but we all focused on the good times she gave us and we had with her. I went to bed that night and had a dream Pooks was posting in Guild Chat being her usual happy self. She said she was coming back to tell us good-bye one last time before she left. I really do think it was her coming to tell me good-bye in my dream. She probably did it that way since that's the only way I really knew her was through the game chat. It's hard. I've lost elderly relatives before, but i've never lost a friend before. Someone close to my own age.
While still upset about that, and just waiting on "that phone call" from my dad, it finally came. 2 days later, at around 8:50, my grandma, my last surviving grandparent passed away as well. She was 92 years old. I don't cry for her. She's in a better place. I cry for my dad because out of us all, he's probably the one who will feel it the worst. His dad died when my dad was only 15, so my grandma practically raised him.
Rest in Peace, Pookie. Your memories will always make my heart smile. Feel free to come haunt my house any day and add to the paranormal population.
And to my Maw-Teen (Grandmaw Augustine), I'll never forget the fact you were always there for us. You lived a full life and did so much from being a co-test pilot during World War II to teaching young minds for the rest of your working days (even if you did start out by teaching your father's drying muskrat pelts he trapped for a living.) To my last living Grandparent, Via con Dios. (Go with God.)
Meanwhile, back at home, I'm happily enjoying myself in my little world of Shaiya. When I first started the game, I started on April 1, 2008. A few weeks went by when I actually got into a guild. One of the girls, who went by the name of Pookie- (-Pookiness-, then Pooks.) was the first I really "made friends with." She practically took me under her wing and really helped me get a feel for the game. She was always there to help me and always answered my questions. She was like the sunshine of the guild chat.
One day she left to join DragonReign, which is the top guild on the Lailah server. I missed seeing her in Most Wanted's guild chat and thought that she might turn into one of those elitists who forget about the "little people." She never did. She always told me hello when I'd cross paths with her. There came the time when I wanted to join DR but was too scared. I got the invite and found out she was behind it in a way. Little me got into the top guild. I was beside myself knowing I'd see her around a lot again.
I knew she was sick a lot but she never said why. It didn't stop her sweet spirit at all. When I found out she had cancer, it broke my heart. She assured us she'd get through it and she would be around in game a lot more. About a week ago, I tried to craft some sonic boots but I wound up breaking the lapis. I would never be able to afford more sonic lapis or a pair of already linked boots. A friend, Ignatius, gave me Pookie's boots to borrow until she came back in game. I asked how she was doing and Ignatius told me she was just getting over pneumonia.
April 1, 2009 rolled around. I was so excited to be celebrating my one year anniversary on Shaiya. I woke up that morning not able to wait to tell everyone that I had been playing for a year. It was a big deal. I wanted to be happy about it, but the thought of my grandma kept sticking in my head. We knew how bad my grandma was doing. We just hadn't heard yet how bad.
we get a phone call that night from my uncle telling us that my grandma's oxygen count is way low and that she was refusing to wear the respirator. She had just gotten over pneumonia (like Pookie). I did what I normally did when I couldn't handle bad situations and got on Shaiya to keep my mind occupied. Things went as usual, but I was nervous. Same went for all the next day. Dad took to the road on an 11 hour drive from New Orleans to Pomona to be with his mother. Every hour he'd call Mom while on the road. We all stayed behind to take care of things here. It was only immediate family going to see her.
I was super upset to begin with. I get home, check the DragonReign guild website and see people posting things about Pookie being a real angel and all this stuff. I got scared. When I found the post I didn't want to find it was all there. She had lost her battle with cancer and passed away the night before on April 1, 2009. I just sat behind my computer and cried like a baby. Of course, the whole guild was pretty much a support group for each other, but we all focused on the good times she gave us and we had with her. I went to bed that night and had a dream Pooks was posting in Guild Chat being her usual happy self. She said she was coming back to tell us good-bye one last time before she left. I really do think it was her coming to tell me good-bye in my dream. She probably did it that way since that's the only way I really knew her was through the game chat. It's hard. I've lost elderly relatives before, but i've never lost a friend before. Someone close to my own age.
While still upset about that, and just waiting on "that phone call" from my dad, it finally came. 2 days later, at around 8:50, my grandma, my last surviving grandparent passed away as well. She was 92 years old. I don't cry for her. She's in a better place. I cry for my dad because out of us all, he's probably the one who will feel it the worst. His dad died when my dad was only 15, so my grandma practically raised him.
Rest in Peace, Pookie. Your memories will always make my heart smile. Feel free to come haunt my house any day and add to the paranormal population.
And to my Maw-Teen (Grandmaw Augustine), I'll never forget the fact you were always there for us. You lived a full life and did so much from being a co-test pilot during World War II to teaching young minds for the rest of your working days (even if you did start out by teaching your father's drying muskrat pelts he trapped for a living.) To my last living Grandparent, Via con Dios. (Go with God.)