I sat uneasily in the high back wooden chair,
beside her bed, having not a clue, why I had
been summoned there.
She was a woman I only saw perhaps once a year.
I was told that she sent for me, but nothing more.
I guessed she was 75 or so and once upon a time
quite pretty and always had a regal air about her.
She was sitting up in her fine gilded bed among
several huge pillows, the room pervaded whiffs
of medical liniment or some such scent, mingling
with I presume, some expensive French perfume.
"I have good reports on you, young man, you
show promise and potential so they tell me."
"Thank you, Ma'am." I whispered, relieved that
perhaps I was not in some trouble after all.
"It seems you are a very bright lad, more than
merely good marks all through School."
I just nodded my head in agreement and produced
a slight shy smile.
"Your mother was bright, had potential but married
at 19, with three months of a child in her belly, and
four more wee babies on the **** soon to follow.
You being, the last born of her brood."
"Yes, Grandmother I know."
"Do you know why I choose to stay mostly in bed?"
"Perhaps you are unwell?"
"No boy, not really. I took over the family business
after your grandfather died, I built it into something
big, a slave to running it for 30 plus years, we derived
considerable wealth from that effort, but it near wore
me out. There is more to life than money. I still read
the reports and have meetings with my managers,
right here from my bed. It leaves me the time to read
all the books I formally missed, write poetry, I'm very
content with this hedonistic arrangement. I am not
sick, merely old, spending the time I have left doing
mostly what pleases me."
"That sounds fine and lucky for you Grandmother."
"Boy, luck had nothing to do with it.
Do you have ambitions son?"
"Yes ma'am, college and football."
"How would Harvard suit you my lad, and a Masters
and Doctorate from Oxford in International Business?"
"Oh, that sounds grand, do they all have Football teams?"
"Harvard does, not a very good one, but you may have
to put that aside to study and work hard if you want to
take the helm of our family enterprises, I am gifting you
that opportunity if you feel up to the challenge."
For a time, to say the least, I was fully dumbstruck.
I squeaked out "that sounds fine" and that was all that
was required, we shook hands and right there and then
an unwritten binding contract of honor was signed.
That unexpected visit with the grandmother I barely
knew was seven years ago, I am close to my Doctorate
in England and hard at work helping to run my
families, Companies. Grandmom passed away a
year ago in her bed, a book in her lap, still doing
the things that finally brought her pleasure and
peace. There are truly more important things than
money. An easy awareness to have when you have
lots of it.
We computer chatted, or talked on the phone
nearly every day. She was my Jiminy Cricket,
teaching and advising me sitting on my shoulder,
in our new closeness I came to love and deeply
revere her, now missing her every single day.
This piece was inspired by a far distant
remarkable young girl of profound talents
and her equally remarkable Grand-mere.
And a resent viewing of the 1945 Film
"The Corn is Green", a longtime favorite
of mine. Inspiration comes from many
places, and then we must write it down.