Grandma June

As I look out the car window on my way to grandmas funeral I am in disbelief she has gone.

Grandma June wasn’t like your everyday grandma, she was a savage. I remember in my early 20s, I dated an older male whose name was Roger who started to control me, stalk me and became physically abusive. I found myself avoiding my family, friends and if I did leave the house I would cover up, wear oversized sunnies and be easily startled. Roger would make threats to kill my family and I, he would even threaten to kill my cat if we had an argument. I lost who I was, I became emotionally numb. The physical pain inflicted on me no longer hurt, the mental and emotional abuse started to become like a routine that the words he would say was as if it was scripted. I never had the courage to leave because this was my norm. I didn’t care what pain I endured, I just knew that if I left and he inflicted pain on my family that it would break me, I wanted to protect them.

I received a phone call one afternoon and it was grandma June. Prior to the phone call I had just been flogged for not having Rogers lunch ready by 1pm. I put on my most happy, cheerful voice and I was so excited to speak to her. She happily spoke to me about her bingo, asked how I was going, and we had a few laughs.

An hour later, I heard a knock on the door, it was Grandma June. Grandma June was standing there with her basket of baked goods, she was wearing her floral dress with her hair freshly permed, she looked amazing. I opened the door and gave her the biggest hug and invited her in.

I put on a cup of tea and she was staring at me smiling. Roger was asking her about bingo and put on his nice facade in front of my family like he always does. Grandma June was telling us about how her best friend Gertrude won the jackpot last week and shouted her dinner.

I could sense Grandma June wasn’t feeling herself as she usually never does surprise visits, I asked her if she was okay with her health which she said she felt fine. She used the bathroom and took in her handbag which I thought was strange but Roger just said I was being silly and she was probably freshening up her make up. Grandma June took a while so I just sat and spoke to Roger, he wasn’t impressed with Grandma June’s sudden visit.

After a while Grandma June returned back and seemed a little bit flustered and asked us for a favour. She had just received a phone call to say a tree had fallen down on her house. Grandma June asked if we could come with her to help her clean up the mess and asked if she could borrow Rogers strong muscles, he said of course. I tried to ask if she had someone else as I knew what was going to happen to me when Roger and I get home. She said she was desperate so of course we helped. Grandma June insisted she would drive us as she had a short cut as she lives on acreage in the middle of the bush. As we were driving along Grandma said she found an off road short cut that halved the time and got her home quickly. Grandma June was driving fast over the bumps and we were holding on for dear life. But she suddenly stopped and said she seen smoke coming from the engine. We all get out and she opens the bonnet to have a look and said she just needed to grab her tool kit.

Grandma June called Roger for help which he went over, I then heard Rogers panicked voice saying “please don’t” I quickly go around the car to see Grandma June with a gun aimed at Roger. She innocently says “it’s okay dear heart, I was like you once, this piece of shit is going to pay for hurting you” I stood there shaking and asking her to please don’t but she wasn’t having any of it. Roger started crying hysterically with his hands up begging for her to put the gun down but she isn’t taking her eyes off him. She said “you hurt my grandchild and I will hurt you” he is sobbing at this point and grandma June didn’t even flinch. I was trying to diffuse the situation without any luck I asked if she would talk to me away from Roger and she agreed. She said “if you run I will shoot you to death”. I speak to her and said “how did you know, I mean I didn’t say a word” she said “dear heart, I knew in my heart something was wrong. You are like me, too proud to ask for help. I did exactly the same thing except no one ever knew what had happened as I learned to mask it. But I promised myself no man will ever hurt me or my family ever again”. At this point Roger tried to come up from behind and put her in a headlock, grandma June laughed she handed me the gun, leant back, then forward throwing Roger over her body and she stomped on his face knocking him out. It all happened so quickly I thought Grandma gave Bruce Lee some competition.

She took back her gun, grabbed her rope and started tying up Roger. She wiped her finger prints off the gun and got Rogers hands and wrapped it around like he was holding it. She told me to grab her phone and small black notebook. So I did.

In the back of the notebook was a number with no name and random scribble written over the page. She dialled the number and said “I need a hand, meet me at the usual spot” and about 10 minutes later two large tattooed men dressed in black gave her a hug and kiss, she handed them the gun and they introduced themselves to me. They ended up taking away Roger in their van.

I told Grandma June how scared I was and the threats Roger had made to the family and I which she assured me that it all was going to be safe. She said “dear heart, I stole the gun from your house, he had it in the bottom drawer in your room. It was only a matter of time he was going to use it on you”. I was shocked as I didn’t even see grandma June go to our room or how she knew. She said “I need you to stick to this story” and she told me that we never left to go anywhere, Roger became aggressive upon her visit, he had been drinking and pulled a gun on us. That he had run after us and that when we went to go out the the front door, he fell back and hit his head and in self defence grandma stomped on his face.

She drove me to the police station where we filed a protection order and pressed charges. The police officers sent the police over to the house where they woke him up, they found the gun near him and he smelt of strong alcohol. The police officers also ceased his laptop, phone and went through it. Roger was placed into custody.

The detective had called Grandma June and I to let us know they had found concerning material on Rogers computer and phone where he was looking up tarps, body bags, had an online order for bleach and strong chemicals. The police believed that Roger was planning on killing me.

Fast forward to a 12 month trial, Roger remained in custody and pleaded guilty for planning to kill me, domestic violence and that he could apply for bail in 4 years.

I had concerns that Roger would come back and get me again if he was granted bail. But 5 days before he was due to get bail, a fire had broken out in prison where all the inmates got out but Rogers room door wouldn’t open due to faulty lock and he has burned to death. When I called Grandma June, she laughed and said “well you won’t have to worry now dear heart”.

Grandma June and I started to live together as I was scared of being alone. I would tell her all my dreams and goals which she ended up giving me 20 thousand dollars on the condition I use it for one holiday and to save the rest. I agreed and what she didn’t know that holiday I was taking the both of us to New York. Grandma absolutely loved the holiday and we created so many fun memories. I leaned so much about Grandma on this holiday and what she went through in life. She made me promise her that I have to play Highway to hell by AC/DC at her funeral, I just wasn’t expecting the day to be the day I say my final goodbyes to my best friend, my rock and protector.