I Passed My Grandparents' House
Overnight, I was dreaming that I was walking along on lower California Street in Stratford, where I lived with my grandparents.
First, we passed Dr. Stone’s house, which I commented on, then approached our place on the left side of the street. I asked my friend if she wanted to go inside; I did not. “I want to remember it the way it was when I lived there.” She declined. After all, it’s been since 1949 that we built our own place, and since 1956 that they moved out. I was an in-and-out resident up until that time, being cared for after an illness and hoping to prevent it from coming back.
Haven’t the faintest idea why that scene would come back to me after 52 years and I rather doubt there’s any real solid reason.
Some years ago, I did go by the house and, if anyone was out front, I would have told them I once lived there. It was in our family, owned by one couple for 43 years, from the time the last shingle went on the roof in 1913 until we sold it in 1956. My grandmother bought it without telling her husband; my grandfather stayed there until his final (and probably only) illness.
Our own house in nearby Lordship? We moved in when the last shingle went on the roof in 1949, moved out when Mom left us in 1997 after 48 years and I’m gone 11 more, now with 59 years of memories.
First, we passed Dr. Stone’s house, which I commented on, then approached our place on the left side of the street. I asked my friend if she wanted to go inside; I did not. “I want to remember it the way it was when I lived there.” She declined. After all, it’s been since 1949 that we built our own place, and since 1956 that they moved out. I was an in-and-out resident up until that time, being cared for after an illness and hoping to prevent it from coming back.
Haven’t the faintest idea why that scene would come back to me after 52 years and I rather doubt there’s any real solid reason.
Some years ago, I did go by the house and, if anyone was out front, I would have told them I once lived there. It was in our family, owned by one couple for 43 years, from the time the last shingle went on the roof in 1913 until we sold it in 1956. My grandmother bought it without telling her husband; my grandfather stayed there until his final (and probably only) illness.
Our own house in nearby Lordship? We moved in when the last shingle went on the roof in 1949, moved out when Mom left us in 1997 after 48 years and I’m gone 11 more, now with 59 years of memories.
posted by Tom Carten at 10:39 AM
1 Comments:
I remember going by my grandprents place some years ago and I stopped and rang the bell. Turns out that present owners are the ones who bought the house after my gr'parents had passed away. The lady asked if I would care to visit, told her that no I didn't/couldn't but did give her the layout plus a few anecdotes.
CJV
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