The family reunion Part 1 : If you clean it they will come

It really was amazing to be around everyone again. The awkwardness came rolling back and the eye rolling and side glances were reflex once again, but that's typical with my family. It had been just about 5 years since I had seen everyone and there are several reasons why but none of them were remembered or discussed, just happiness poured out of each of us to be reunited in Grandma Alice's house.

Grandma's house had sat dormant on my mother's property since my grandmother's death 5 years ago. A few family members had used it shortly after she died, though it had never been cleaned, and they left it the way they found it, if not worse. Dust covered the grease build up in the kitchen and cobwebs weaved a blanket of time over that. This was the house that we used to meet up at, a place where fond memories grew of our Matriarch, bringing the family together. Her house was our house, she was there simply to serve and observe. Upon arriving she would be in the kitchen cutting lettuce with her scissors, the rest of the meal prepped, the beverages (a.k.a. Tang) ready and the cups (with our names on them) out. We never thought about anything except to relax and enjoy each other's company when there. But it had been so long.

A few weeks earlier I had gone to Sweet Home determined to bring that house back to life. Four hours of scrubbing (and mom joining in for a bit) the kitchen was nearly finished. I could feel my grandmother returning to me with every cupboard restored. When the sky became dark, mom was emotionally drained and I physically, so we ended for the day. I knew I would return the following week for what was planned as family photos, but what would turn into a family reunion.

Just that morning Kara had arrived with Brian from Heather's house. She missed the breakdown I had earlier (it's almost mandatory to have one when visiting my mom's house) but I got to share hers as she debated going to a wedding or visiting with me and mom until the rest of the family got there, as planned. So much baggage literally and figuratively at my mom's takes awhile to transition into, like walking into a vacuum sealed room. At first, you feel like you can't breath but after you stop panicking you realize you're fine, but you're constantly aware that you're in a vacuum sealed room. I was surprised when Kara decided to stay and "visit" after I had just described my intentions to finish grandma's house as "getting medieval on it". But she knew how desperate that situation was, and as gut wrenching as it was to go over there, being in the state of such neglect, she went over there passionately to just GET IT DONE!

It took us another 4 hours, but this time, with 3 people putting all their efforts into it we were able to get ALL but 3 rooms cleaned from top to bottom. A truck was parked out front filled to the brim with old furniture to take to the dump, and another entire room was filled with items to donate to the goodwill. The kitchen, the heart of the house, was scrubbed, dusted, washed, vacuumed, the fridge plugged in and running and the pantry filled with the groceries we had just purchased. Kara and I put the 2 extra leaves in the kitchen table and gathered chairs from around the house to set around it. Mom, Kara, Brian and I sat proudly around the table at grandma's house dreaming of all the fun times that would now be had in our rediscovered get away.

That's when Uncle Stephen drove up.