Kathleen and Ruth were the perfect couple. They never quarrelled over anything. They worked as a team and they were always together since leaving school. Even when a lot of their friends from school were out of the picture, Kathleen and Ruth stood firm together.
They had so many ideas. They wanted to sleep in every beach in the world, dine in the rooftops of vibrant cities and grow old together.
Ruth never dated anyone else after Kathleen's death. Reminds me of my grandad in a way, he never remarried after his wife died. But thinking about it, grandad still sleeps around. Ruth never even looks at anyone.
I remember when Kathleen first said she had cancer. She got me, Ruth and Grandad together in the house and bought us all a pizza.
"Guys, I have something to tell you." She had her legs crossed and her eyes to the floor. Her fingers were twiddling along with her twitching eyes. My stomach churned.
I knew it something bad.
Somehow, I knew she was going to say that she was dying.
"I've got cancer, and I only have a few months to live."
The way she was so blunt with her words caused Ruth to break out in tears. Grandpa gathered us all in a circle for one of his group hugs. "It's okay, we'll get through it. You might survive this."
Grandpa has outlived his sons, brothers and one of his grandchildren. I have a feeling if Annie carries on the way she is, that he will outlive her too. How he still stays alive amazes he. I bet he will live on well into his hundreds.