Past The Edge

My grandpa Joe doesn't tell us much about his time in the Navy. He doesn’t tell us much at all any more but every Sunday afternoon he’ll see the slow moving HMAS Stirling on the horizon and he will tell the same story and today was no different.

‘Good afternoon, pops!’

‘It is indeed a good afternoon Benny, what have you brought for me today?’

On the kitchen counter, I placed a plate of biscuits, still warm enough that there was a sheen of vapour on the inside of the clear cling film that covered them.

‘From Mum,’ I said, leaning in to give him a hug.

‘Ahh, she’s a good woman, your mother.’ He smiled, the top of his dentures showing.

‘One of the best,’ I smiled back.

We settled on the back porch, a cup of tea in one hand and a biscuit in the other. As we looked out at the water, I filled him in on my week, told him about my latest project at work wrapping up, then grandpa let me in on the gossip from bingo and about how his knee had been playing up again. I was mid way through a story about my overflowing washing machine when grandpa cut me off.

‘There she is,’ grandpa Joe pointed out at the water in front of us, ‘my sweet Stirling, always on time,’

I looked down at my tea and smiled, ready for what must be the 100th time I’d heard this story.

It had been grandpa Joe’s first voyage on a boat larger than his father’s tiny tin fishing boat. He was 19 years old, fresh faced and had only one wish - to see the world - and the Navy was the way he was going to do it. He had been on board for three weeks when they made their first stop on land. Joe had just stepped off the ship, onto bright, white sand when he laid his eyes on the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

She was a fair skinned, short-legged, fiery red head who had no business being on the beach, but there she was, slathering zinc on her freckled cheeks. Even as Joe sat with his grandson now, eyes closed, listening to the lapping water, he could see clearly in his mind, the red and white polka dot blouse and white shorts that she wore on that very first day.

Gladys was everything Joe had needed in his life. She brought calm when he was stressed and whenever he struggled to find the positive, she reminded him that things could be worse. She would say ‘If we put all of the world’s problems into a hat, and you picked someone else’s problems out, you’d miss your own.’

I had heard grandpa say this so many times, I said it with him in unison.

‘Another biscuit, Grandad?’ I offered him the plate.

Joe nibbled on the warm biscuit as he dove back into his story. It was the second time HMAS Stirling stopped in Gladys’ home town and that night was her best friend’s birthday. Joe certainly didn’t need an excuse to spend more time with Gladys, so he offered to be her date for the evening. Upon arrival, Gladys had offered Joe a sip of her beer and he couldn’t believe his eyes - a girl drinking a beer!

‘She wasn’t like other girls there Benny, she was one of a kind.’

He winked at me before finishing the rest of his tea.

The afternoon sun was losing its warmth and the wind off the water had Joe reaching for the ancient blanket draped over the back of his chair.

‘Shall we go inside, pop?’ I went to stand up.

‘Not yet Benny, not until my Stirling is past the edge of the horizon.’

Even though the third time Joe docked, only 3 months had passed since he first saw Gladys, he knew she was the girl he’d spend the rest of his life with. He didn’t have a ring or a house or much money to his name but he was ready and willing to move his whole world to that tiny beach town for her. He got down on one knee in front of all of his crew mates and she said ‘yes’, making him the happiest he’d ever been.

‘And she continued to make me the happiest I’ve ever been Benny, right up until our last days together.’

I always knew to have the tissue box at the ready when grandpa Joe got to this part of the story.

‘I know you made her the happiest she’d ever been too, pops. She told us all the time.’

I gave him a hug, patting his shoulder.

‘Come on pop, let’s go inside where it’s warm.’

‘No!’ Joe raised his voice, crumpling the tissue in his hand. ‘Not until I see Stirling leave.’

‘Okay pop, well I’ll give you a call this week. Should I send Maria in?’

Grandpa didn’t reply, his eyes closed while he rocked back and forth on his chair.

I gave him a hug, patting his shoulder and kissing the top of his head before I walked out to my car. As hard as I tried not to, a big fat teardrop escaped from my eye as I drove through the boom gates of Lake Bicton Aged Care. Hopefully next Sunday will be better.