Forgiveness

This is a one shot I wrote in honor of my mother and grandfather. It involves his drug addiction, which is not a matter that I by any means take lightly.

There is a difference between someone who did crack for a few months in high school and fucked up a couple times because of it and someone who has been addicted their whole life and has multiple things to regret, multiple deamons that follow them. Addiction does not go away over night. It haunts you to your grave.

My grandfather stayed out of my mother's childhood for her sake; he was messed up enough, he didn't want her messed up as well. Some parents are selfish, and keep their children with them even when they know no good will come of it, that their children will end up with scars. (Just ask my second cousins.) But he had the courage to step away, had the courage to say "it's better off this way, even if it hurts."

This is basically a fictional conversation (although a similar one could very well have taken place, I wouldn't know) between him and my mother. My grandpa is very sick, possibly dying, and I felt it was the least I could do to try to capture some of him. Granted, I haven't seen him since I was little. But I had to try.

For my mother, who is brave beyond words.