Two Beautiful Souls

My grandpa and grandma are two of the most beautiful people I've ever known in my life.

I remember the days as a kid when I held grandpa's hand and walked down the streets. We used to go to this temple near my place and on the way back home he bought me candy. Grandpa had a good heart. He was always so noble in his thoughts and deeds. He was a great teacher. I've seen people walk up to my mother on random occasions, identifying themselves as grandpa's students. He was loved and respected like none other I've known.

He and grandma moved in with us after he retired, and a few years later he was affected by Parkinson's disease. He started having tremors and difficulty in walking. Mom and dad took care of him in every way possible, giving him the best medications. Dad was more like a son to him, loving grandpa like his own. Grandma used to spend every waking hour tending to grandpa. She had endless patience. When at times she lost her temper, they fought like kids. Grandpa had the most loving smile. Years wore on, he suffered a lot. The doctor said he'd live only few months. I still remember the day when they carried him to the ambulance. Dad came home an hour later and told me grandpa was gone. He'd breathed his last on my mother's lap on the way to the hospital. We lost a beautiful soul then. The entire town was at the funeral.

Grandma was a strong person. She was the most selfless being I've ever seen. I can't imagine how the household would've functioned all those years without her. Grandma did everything for us, despite the fact that she was a cardiac patient. She was so loving and caring, ever-smiling and never complaining. Few years later, she was diagnosed with Cancer. Mom and dad did everything they could to keep her healthy. She was having trouble digesting food. With the liquid diet and chemotherapy, she was growing weak. It's not known as the killer disease for nothing.

Even through all this, grandma never stopped doing what she always did for us. And then she couldn't do it anymore. It pained us to see her suffer so much. I still remember the day when my brother carried her to the car, and she didn't want to go. She breathed her last on my mother's lap, just like grandpa. We lost another beautiful soul. For a month, I cried every time I went in her room. I couldn't bear the thought of home without her, it was so empty. It was a shattering loss, especially to my mom. She loved her parents so much. One day, I hope I can give my parents the kind of love and care they've always shown to their parents and to me and my brother.

I miss you grandpa... I miss you grandma... I know you're always with us...