My abuelo (grandfather) was the sweetest man. I never had the chance of saying goodbye when he passed. My mother came to the island to pay her respects, but I remember myself being torn. I knew he was very sick, but reality didn’t hit me, especially since I was only twelve years young.
My mother’s aunt, who is also my abuela’s sister is burried here.
As well, as my abuela’s mother, father, brother and nephew.
See here in the Dominican Republic, the tombstones are like mini houses and depending what size you pay for, the more people live an after life in that house.
I had a lot of questions, this was my first time in an actual cemetery.
I even had the chance to bond with my grandmother while we small talked while we all cleaned up. I asked her about her boyfriend, and she looked at me with surprise.
My grandfather was her first and only boyfriend, her first and only love. I asked how they met, and she tells me he crushed first, he kept insisting they would be together and she would say no. She would lie and say she had a boyfriend, my grandfather being witty as he was, said well, when I see him, we’ll settle it then.
My grandmother laughed, because she knew that was never going to happen, since that boyfriend didn’t exist.
♥
Love stories are always interesting to me, but knowing houw your family started and has become so much more, all because of a romance is amazing to me. Our family is so big, my grandparents had 4 children, who have had 12 children, who have had 8 children and our family continues to grow.
It’s a beautiful thing.
He would be so proud.