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My Grandma
Maeve Luu
The unmistakable scent of Red Door fills the room and a woman
follows, with hair of orange flames. Her hands are as delicate and pale
as a china doll.When she hugsme her cheek is as soft as goose feathers.
‘How is Marta today?’ she inquires. She is referring to my role in her
Sound of Music production.This woman is my Grandma. Grandma
is not like most grandmas. I’m sure everyone would say that about
their grandma, but it is true. She is a single minded rebel who often
has a point to prove but she is also the milk of human kindness.
Grandma is single minded to the point of craziness. A prime
example would be when she puts on musicals with intellectually
challenged adults. She puts heart and soul into it. Sometimes she
acts as though she has ants living in her pants! When casting, nobody
is spared if she thinks she needs them. She ensnares members of our
family, professional actors and for Show Boat, a local Sudanese
community. All inhibition put aside, she will even prance around in
lingerie and fish net stockings if required.
My Grandma likes to break rules. As a result of this, my mum gave
her a book called,
‘The Little Old Lady who broke all the rules.’
She is as cheeky as a monkey with her actions. My mum is really strict
about junk food. Whenever Grandma comes to our house she always
brings precisely three packets of Smiths Original chips, often just
before meal times!
Grandma can be as embarrassing as having your pants being
pulled down in front of your friends. When my sister had her fourth
birthday party, Grandma found a cupcake that a child had licked and
proceeded to eat it in front of one of mum’s work colleagues. Just to
make the point that we are wasteful! Mum was absolutely mortified.
Grandma has an obsession with toilets and believes that they
should be readily available anywhere and everywhere. When we are
out and about she always needs to go. Once she came to a
grandparents and special friends day at school; whilst on the tour of
my school she decided she needed to go to the toilet. Whenever she
needs to go she quips, ‘When you gotta go you gotta go.’ I cringe
when she says that.
Grandma has an inspirational and encouraging side to her as well.
Whenever you don’t succeed in something she always tells you the
things you did right and not what you didn’t do right. She likes to
give a gift for every grandchild’s achievement. Her gifts are always a
surprise; once I got One Direction stick on nails and a toothbrush.
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