"It's your nickel, BonBon"

Today I thought about all the funny little things my Pappaw used to say to me. He was quite a character. I don't ever want to forget his voice and the way he would answer the phone when I called him. I will miss all his stories of the "good ole days" of gambling and cain-raising and running the restaurant. The way he said BonBon and always like to tell people the story of my birth and how sick I was and him calling people to pray for me. How he would tell ANY healthcare worker we came across, "This is my granddaughter. She's a nurse." and I would have to clarify I was only a student and still had x number of years left. I don't want to forget the way he smelled of Stetson and how his whiskers would scratch me when I'd lean in to hug him. He is also the one who showed me how outlining the picture with the same color before coloring it in looks really pretty. I always thought that was the coolest thing. Also, all the days I spent in his pool room in Lawrenceville with all those old men who had names like Blondie, Skip, you get the idea. Playing cards and pool and gambling as a little 6 year old girl. Me, sitting on the counter eating a Drumstick while he stood next to me drinking a Diet Rite. Always having a wad of money in his front shirt pocket, honking the horn when he would get to our house as a sign that we should come out to see him. Those funny black shoes he had and how I would help him tie them. Alllll of his baseball hats. The man loved hats.

I loved getting the phone call from my mom the day Pappaw got saved a couple years back. Years and years of prayers and close-calls with death finally answered.

We won't get to hear him tell us the same things over and over like "Double cheeseburger from Wendy's. Plain. I want it Plain. Pickles and onions on the side. And tell them it's for a senior." or "I'll have a water with lotsa ice. Lots of ice. And she wants an iced tea with no lemon and lotsa ice. No lemon." Mustard on everything, gravy on nothing. Absolutely no pizza, turkey, or macaroni. Only all beef hotdogs, and very select pieces of chicken cause they're such a dirty bird. Ham, and lots of it, burnt to a crisp.

I'm sad about the fact that I didn't hurry home after finals like I usually do. I stuck around to go out for Donnie's birthday and to take my time packing. I would have been able to see him again. The last time I saw him was Easter. And I tried to call him a few times recently on the phone but he had a hard time with cell phones, so I gave up. I miss him. I don't think I've realized I won't see him again. Six other times he quit breathing on us. And six other times he came back to us. But this time was different, and this time he was alone.

I might add more to this one later, I know there's more I could say. 21 years of memories.

I love you, Pappaw. 4/15/28-5/8/09