My Grandmother's Gift

Author's Note- This is a short story about my grandmother. I have always enjoyed my grandmother's company, but I rarely see her. Last time I saw her was Easter, and the day before I left, she gave me a gift I will cherish for the rest of my life. I hope that you will see, even though I never see her, she is always with me.  

The smell of English muffins, eggs, and ham wafted in through the open guest bedroom door. As I lay there, half asleep, I listened to the sounds of morning. Birds chirped cheerfully in the distance, and my grandmother hummed in the kitchen. Golden light poured in through an open window near the air mattress I was laying on. It was a beautiful day, but I didn’t want to move, let alone wake up. I had been dreading this day for a while now. This was the last full day I had with my grandmother at her home.

As I lay there, with my eyes still closed, I absorbed all of the smells and sounds around me. A smile flickered across my face, At least I have today, I thought.

“Maxie, are you awake?” I heard my grandma coo softly from the bedroom door.

“Yes, Mimi,” (My family calls her Mimi how some family’s call their grandmother Nana.) I slowly opened my eyes to see her smiling face at the door. She always had the best smile, that could always make you feel better. She had that rare human kindness, which is hard to find nowadays. Always willing to help a stranger, or work in a soup kitchen. Wherever she went, she always left a wake of kindness behind her.

“Well, breakfast will be ready in five minutes, and is there any cereal you want sweetheart?” she asked?

I slowly raised myself into a sitting position, and thought for a moment about it. “No thank you,” I replied, “Whatever you made will be perfect.”

“Alright Maxie, but feel free to ask if you need anything.” She smiled and left the room.

“I will Mimi,” I said with a smile back.

She closed the door when she left the room, and I gently pulled the blankets off of myself, and reached into my open suitcase. I grabbed a tee-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, and put them on. I opened the door that lead into the hallway to the kitchen, the scent of her delicious cooking getting stronger with every step.    

As I emerged into the kitchen, I saw her standing there in her big black shapeless pajamas. It wasn’t that she was stout, on the contrary, she was tall and very slender, but not stout.

“Maxie,” She said, “since it’s your last day here, I bought you a present.” She nodded over to the counter where there was a beautifully wrapped package in gold with a silver ribbon. “Open it,” she said as she smiled at me, “I hope you like it.”

I crossed over to the counter, and slowly removed the ribbon with care, not knowing what was inside. Whit the ribbon off, carefully ripped the paper off, only to reveal a black leather bound copy of  Jane Eyre, with red trimmed pages. “Grandma… I… I don’t know what to say… thank you,” I whispered. It really was a beautiful copy of the book. I collect  books I love, and this was the perfect edition to add to my collection.

“I’m so glad you like it! I know you love the book, and I thought this copy was completely you.”

It was true, this one person knew me better than anyone else, maybe even better than I knew myself. After that trip to my grandma’s, I haven’t seen her since, and I most likely see her for a few more years. That’s why I carry that copy of Jane Eyre around with me wherever I go, because it was the one thing I have to remember her by, besides the blanket she gave me. I have read that copy two times, and am working on my third. I devour the book every time, and I know when I read it, she is thinking of me.