How I Found Out My Grandma Died: A Bus Station Revelation
What a rollercoaster of emotions we’ve got today! We’re diving into a heartfelt story about how I found out my grandmother had passed away—definitely not the kind of news you expect to get while waiting for a bus. Picture this: it's 1969, the Christmas holidays, and I'm all pumped to reunite with my family after my first college semester. But things take a turn when I’m on my way back to New York, and a confused little man with a heavy Southern drawl suddenly drops the bombshell that my grandmother has died. Talk about a bittersweet holiday, right? Join me as I reminisce about that last funny and touching conversation we had, the chaos of bus travel, and how life's unpredictable moments can hit us when we least expect them. Buckle up, because this is going to be one wild ride down memory lane!
We all have those moments that just seem to hit us out of nowhere, and for me, it was during the Christmas of 1969. I was heading back home for a family celebration, all excited to reconnect with my siblings and parents after my first semester of college in New York. The plan was to gather in Goldsboro for Christmas since my grandmother couldn’t travel due to her illness. The holiday was a mixture of joy and sadness; my family was together, but we all knew Grandma wasn’t doing well. We made the most of it though—gifts were exchanged, laughter filled the house, and we enjoyed each other’s company, but the weight of her condition was a constant reminder of the bittersweet nature of our time together.
The last chat I had with Grandma was one I’ll never forget. She asked me when she’d get to see me on TV, which just struck me right in the feels. I told her it would be soon, but deep down, I was crushed by the thought that she might not be around to see it. After a lovely but tender holiday, it was time for me to return to New York. I hopped on the bus, a little too caught up in my thoughts to notice the world around me. Then, out of the blue, this short, round man boards the bus, looking completely bewildered. He was looking for me, and when he finally found me, he delivered the most shocking news: my grandmother had passed away. Just like that, the joy I had felt just moments ago vanished, replaced by a profound sense of loss. It was a jarring experience, one that taught me just how fleeting and precious our moments with loved ones can be.
Takeaways:
- Wambui recalls the unusual way she learned about her grandmother's passing, which was quite unexpected.
- During Christmas of 1969, she was excited to reunite with her family after college.
- The bittersweet nature of the holiday season is highlighted as Wambui shares memories of family and food.
- She reflects on her last conversation with her grandmother, filled with laughter and love.
- The unexpected news was delivered by a confused stranger at the bus station, making it surreal.
- Wambui's story showcases the complexity of family dynamics and the impact of sudden loss.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Greyhound
- Trailways
Transcript
So I was excited to come back home for Christmas. My sister would be coming from college, I was in New York, and I'd be coming back to North Carolina. My sister was in Washington, D.C.
and she would be coming back. And my two younger brothers were in Greensboro in high school and junior high school.
So my mother had told us, me and my sister, she said, when you get the bus? Because we traveled by bus at those. In those days, we traveled by the Greyhound or the Trailways. Every now and then we took the train.
But most of the time when we were making our trips back and forth to a northern city, it was by bus. So my mother said, when you get the bus, don't come to Greensboro. Get the bus to go to Goldsboro, because we're going to do Christmas there.
Because my grandmother was too sick to travel. In fact, she was bedridden. And so we met there for the holidays. And it was, of course, as you can imagine, bittersweet. It was a good holiday.
It was, of course, good to be with my family and to see everyone. And we did our traditional exchanging of gifts. And of course, we always had great meals at Christmas time.
And the days passed, and it was soon time for me to go back. It was time for my sister to go back to D.C. and it was time for me to go back to New York to go to school.
So I remember having a conversation with my grandmother just before I was to leave. It was the last conversation that I would have with her. And we laughed and joked about some things.
And then I remember the last thing my grandmother said to me was, ann, when am I going to see you on tv? Because she knew that I was in New York studying acting, and I wanted to be an actress. And that was the last thing she said to me.
When are you going to be on tv? And I felt so bad that I couldn't tell her. I. I wanted her to see me on tv. And I just said, soon, soon, Grandma. You're going to see me soon.
Well, someone took me to the bus station so that I could get my bus back to New York City. And the bus that I was taking was going to go straight through to New York City.
You know, it was going to be stopping along the way, but I wouldn't have to change, which was always a good thing for me. So the bus went to Richmond, stopped in Richmond. I didn't have to get off.
I was going to stay on that same bus, but it was kind of like a little hub there where the buses would stop and a lot of people would get off and a whole lot of new people would get on. So I'm just sitting there. I'm not thinking about anything in particular. I don't think.
I'm just sitting and waiting for the people to get on the bus so that we can go. And I see this little short round white man get on the bus and he's in the stairwell of the bus. And I'm not sitting all the way in the back.
I'm kind of middle ways of the bus. And I see that man and I'm looking at him and I'm trying to figure out what he's trying to do because he just seems a little confused.
And he has a card in his hand and he looks down at the card and then he looks up and looks around the bus and he looks at his card and then he says with a very heavy southern drawl, is there a. Is there a John? Is there. Is there a John and Washington on this bus? And I say, yes, sir, that's me. I knew he was having trouble with the name.
Everybody did. My birth name was John Ann Washington. I was named after my father, J O, H, N, John. But the middle name was Ann A, N, N.
So people were always confused about that name. Should they be looking for a woman? Looking for a man, a boy, a girl? What? Who? John Ann Washington?
So I had said, yes, sir, that's me. And then he looked at his card and he said, they want you. They want you to get off this bus. They want you to take the next bus back to Goldsboro.
Your grandmother died. And then he turned around and got off the bus. And that's how I found out that my grandmother had passed.
