Leaving on an airplane

To Maternal Grandmother:

You're leaving on an airplane
Don't know when I'll see you again
Twenty years have come and gone
All this time was not that long
Can't believe it was already yesterday
that we said "good-bye"

Over the Pacific you will fly
Fighting nausea, fighting tears
Fighting thoughts of yesteryears
You will return again to a home,
To a home that is always yours

Twenty years, was just like a dream
shorter than what it may seem
Yet many memories and stories to tell and retell
So tell them so you may remember us well

Drive to the airport, wait for the flight
Depend on Gravol, wave until we're out of sight
Though physical distance makes us far apart,
We will always be there close at heart.

-Neigenuage

My maternal grandmother came to Canada with my maternal grandfather twenty years ago to seek out a new life, to find a job so that she could send money back to her children and grandchildren back in China.

Ten days after landing in Canada, Grandmother landed a job at a Chinese bakery/coffee shop about an hour away. Although Grandmother did not speak any English or read (she's illiterate), she managed to take a bus, subway train and another bus every working day. She had courage as strong as steel! At 65, she just started working in a new country for very little money. She still had the energy and resilience of a 30 year old to prove that she could work.

Although most of her twenty years have been good, Grandmother did suffer a mugging (a couple of young people knocked her unconscious and snatched her purse one evening while she was coming home from the bakery) and a broken arm. These events were difficult, but I hope that it will be the fond memories that will be travelling back to China with her. I think what she looked forward to least was saying good-bye to Little R and Little S. Luckily, one of my cousins had twins last year just 40 days after the birth of Little S. I told Grandmother to spend lots of time with them so that she can be happy. She said that they will make her think of Little R.

We can just hope and make effort to live a long, happy and healthy life.

Eat, drink and be merry with all your loving family, Grandmother. I hope that we eat with you again soon. And seeing that twenty years was just a blink of an eye, then soon should be sooner than that.