A Bittersweet Moment

I always remember the time when I left my grandmother to go to the United States. To my parents, the idea of sending me to America for further education was planted in their minds years ago. However, to my grandmother, who is eighty-five years old, it was still a big shock to accept that her grandson is going to leave her soon. My grandfather died very early, so my grandmother has lived alone in the countryside ever since he passed away. My parents and I always ask her to live with us in Taipei, which is a big city in Taiwan, but she would rather stay in the country side and enjoy her life without being restricted; besides, she cherishes her lovely old neighbors who don’t want her to move. Two months ago before I came to America, I went to my grandma’s house and brought her to live with us for a couple months. After we got to my home, I usually stayed home with her since my parents needed to work during the weekdays. We cooked together, watched TV shows, and had a walk in the park in the afternoon every single day. She was really happy because I always stayed with her during that time. A few weeks later, as I was packing my belongings and preparing to move to the United States, she looked at those packages curiously, and then she asked, “Who is going abroad, your father?” “No, I’m going to LA for school,” I said, “and I probably told you this when I went to your house, grandma.” Suddenly, she looked shocked and asked rapidly, “So, when will you leave? At that specific moment, I could see her lips trembling along with her concern. “In ten days later, that will be next Friday,” I answered apologetically. As soon as she heard my answer, her eyebrows went down sadly and then went to her room quietly. During that day, when she thought about that I was going to leave her, my grandma sighed frequently with her unwillingness to accept the truth of what was coming. At the time when I was ready to go to the airport, my grandma came to hug me tightly and said, “I wish you could stay in Taiwan, but studying abroad is good for your future… So, good luck and I hope to see you soon.” When we separated, I could see tears welled up in her eyes. That is the moment that I will never forget; living with my grandmother was the most pleasant time in my life.