Frozen Memories...

            I believe in Wendy’s chocolate Frosties. I didn’t like them until the year 2007. My grandpa always enjoyed a good chocolate Frosty, and would take me out for ice cream pretty frequently. Until the cancer struck, that is. He served in Vietnam on an airbase and was constantly exposed to Agent Orange, which was a chemical used to kill vegetation. Unknown at the time, it was a chief cause of bone marrow cancer.

            On April 7^th, 2007, I celebrated my 11^th birthday party. I had friends over, and then after the excitement, I went to see my grandpa. It was obvious that he was in his final days, so I went to see him as often as I could. He was bed-ridden, and could only have a liquid diet. He was extremely thin and was very pale from the chemotherapy. Somehow he managed to keep his hair though! The one thing that he loved and was allowed to eat was soft serve ice cream. He loved the chocolate Frosties from Wendy’s. That evening, we drove to Wendy’s and picked up two Frosties, one for me, and one for my grandpa. He had so many IVs in his arms and was too weak to feed himself, so my Mom and I took turns giving him spoonfuls of the Frosty. We all talked, laughed, and told funny stories and jokes. Even though he was sick, it was the perfect day.

            The next day April 8^th, was Easter Sunday. We went to church, as we normally do every Sunday, then we went over to Grandpa’s house to have lunch and visit with him. After a little while, my parents had a feeling that something bad was about to happen, so they sent my brother, sister, and me down to the basement with my uncle, who had just graduated high school. We played on his Nintendo 64, and talked about random stuff.

Eventually, I got hungry and went up stairs to the kitchen (which is connected to the living room where my grandpa was in his bed) to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I looked to my left through the divider into the living room because I heard a commotion. What I saw has forever changed my life. It was my mom standing over him crying, and my dad trying to console her. My grandma was also standing over him crying. I dropped what I was doing, and sprinted over there. He was alive, but barely. He was coughing up blood, and gargling on it. There was nothing anyone could do. My mom asked me if I wanted to give him a hug, but I was scared and backed off. I still regret that decision to this day. His days came to a close right in front of my eyes.

After his death, I could not go to Wendy’s for two years. Finally when I was at a friend’s house, his mom brought Wendy’s for us to eat and two chocolate Frosties for us. When she gave them to me I almost cried, but when I took a spoonful of the Frosty the taste reminded me of all of the memories and times that I shared with Grandpa. I get a Frosty now and then, especially on Easter, and when I do, I remember him.

Dedicated to my Grandfather Wayne Young, and my Grandmother Marilyn Young, they are dearly missed.