Upcoming escape...

Oh, poor little Grandpa…
I heard him muttering and grumbling about Grandma some more today, and it just makes me so tickled when he does that. I mean, it’s very sad, but goodness knows he deserves to grouch. The poor guy just tries to be the sacrificing servant that he is, and all he gets is whining from “I don’t know what I want for breakfast…you can’t expect me to be hungry right when I get up in the morning. Soon you’ll be wanting me to eat when I’m still in bed” in the morning to “don’t you want some ice cream” (which means “you’d better get me some ice cream—now) at night, and whatever the Lord has blessed me to escape from in between. Not to mention her recent cold has left her hacking and moaning and groaning. Grandpa gets sick, and he just suffers in silence and gets shakier and swaying. Grandma gets the tiniest bug and it’s “hack! Horck! Haaccchk! Mooan, groooaaan, snarrfle snuff.” I had half a thought today that nobody would blame him if he just bumped her off, but he’s just too nice for that I suppose.
In other news, this all reminds me how glad I am that I’m moving. Of course I feel sad because Grandpa will lose his only little ally (I’ll have to come visit frequently, I am sure) and I’ll lose free groceries and the Food Network, and have more of a commute for student teaching. But being home made me think how delightful it will be to be away from them entirely. And now I have an uplifting hope every time I have to use her shower, as I’m gingerly lifting the shower seat out and then carefully using the claw to pick out the brown stained washcloths strewn about, before stepping onto the germ-infested rubber cloth and brushing the spiders off of the tub wall so I can “clean” myself. Or when I impale my toe on forsaken toothpicks and pills. Or when I come home to stares and interrogations and random comments. I have grown somewhat accustomed to these things by now, but it will nonetheless be an absolute thrill and joy and blessing from the heavens above to escape them. I just keep thinking back to Allie first describing the apartment, and then to my initial visits there. One time I spent the night and we sat around the table chatting and sipping tea, and then I slept on the couch, and I was just so content and at peace with those nice friends and clean space. And I cannot believe that it will be my home. I’ll get my own little gate opener thing, perhaps, and I can bake Allie’s favorite cookies right there in our kitchen, and I can truly come and go as I please. I know there will be plenty of challenges to deal with, still, and the monetary cost will be much greater. And I’ll still need to communicate, and practice responsibility, and clean (well, that’s not a problem) and share space. But oh, I’ll be with wonderful girls! And I’m going to teach in fifth grade! And I won’t be stared at all the time. So I think I am quite pleased :)