Wasting time with Jet

Woke up at 7am for the first time in a long time.

The funeral for Miss Robinson was today. It had been the second wake I've been to this year. Me and MOM got dressed, she was also taking our downstairs neighbor and life long-friend "Granny" Clem along.

Miss Robinson was well known in the building we all lived. Her apartment was on the 3rd floor. She was JOE's and his family's next door neighbor. Big Jenny was still living in the apartment and there might be a question of ownership changing hands so she decided not to tell most the tenants despite Miss Robinson's popularity.

CLEM is pushing the upper 80's herself and walks VERY slow so MOM decided to take a cab down to the funeral home while I hopped on a train.

When I emerged at 125th Street, I slowly made my way through the streets.

"Don't freak out if you see Opal..." I kept telling myself.

I put on my huge aviator mirror sunglasses when I arrived, took a breath and went in.

The first person I saw (who greeted me) was Opal's older brother, Claude. I was nearly eye-level with him which was scary since I could swear he could play Basketball when I looked up to him back in the day...

I gave him my condolences and asked if MOM arrived and he nodded to the next room.

I went inside the viewing room...

MOM and GRANNY were in the middle, sitting a few rows down, a couple and their young girl were in the front...

I took a seat behind mom as she passed me the Obituary. Miss Robinson was born on Christmas Day 1912, she raised 3 children who all passed before she did, she then raised and took care of 8 foster children over a 20 year period.

It turns out, that Big Jenny or rather Genny (named Geneva which was ALSO Miss Robinson's first name) was Miss Robinson's GRANDdaughter not daughther, making Claude, Little Jenny (actually named Jennifer) and Opal GREAT Grandchildren!

Wow, no one ever told us anything...I guess the age difference was vast to consider Big Genny one of the original children.

The three people in the front stood up, I winced for a second, then sighed when they turned...

It was Opal's aunt, Genny's sister...'Meenah (or Aminah apparently)...She smiled when she recognized me.

"Leslie, right?"

"Yeah."

"I remember you, you were jus a skinny lil boy...My, you got big!"

We exchanged a few words and they went back to where Claude was to welcome people.

A few more people came in as GRANNY and MOM talked...

There was no sign of Genny or Little Jenny or even Opal...the funeral was due to start at 10am, but I didn't plan to stay for it.

At 9:45, I said my good byes, walked up and paid my respects with one last look...

My eyes teared up, and I sighed to myself...

She was one of the closet things I had for a Grandmother...she loved children so much. Three children, three grands, 6 great-grands, and even 5 GREAT-great-grands, as well as nieces, nephews, and grands of those...and even those foster children...

I guess they needed a nanny up there...someone to look over the young ones that weren't meant to be.

Who knows, she may be even taking care of...never mind.

I managed to leave, but I eventually broke down and cried on train back home.

I didn't think Opal would be here that quickly, so I dodged a bullet today.

But if I know her, she will be coming, I will have to face her sooner or later...

and have that awkward "Padme/Anakin" moment from "Episode II"

"That's right, slugger...keep making jokes to yourself and comparing everything to the movies...you may have avoided the ghosts from your past today, but will come back to haunt you soon..."