Easter Drama

Well Easter was eventful. Usually it isn't, not for us. My grandmother died about six years ago in April, and her birthday was in April, so we usually celebrated Easter and her birthday at the same time. When she died it just became too sad, and no one had the heart for it anymore. I've been doing Easter with my immediate family, but nothing like we used to do.

This year my aunt called up my dad and said, "It's time we do this again. My house, 4 o'clock, bring potato salad." I was asked to bring a green salad. But that's a different story.

My uncle had some health issues last week - had a tooth pulled, then his diabetes started acting up, and he collapsed in the driveway. He went to the hospital and spent about a week in the ICU because he'd hit his head when he fell. He got home Thursday, and my aunt was bound and determined that we were going to have Easter, come hell or high water. So we came.

I live in SoCal, and I hope I don't thoroughly piss anyone off when I say that it was easily over 90 degrees this weekend. Bright, sunny, and HOT. My aunt and uncle don't have air conditioning in their home, so when it was packed full of people... Well you can imagine just how stuffy it got. DH and I decided to eat out on the porch, where there was a slight breeze and some shade.

My uncle got up to get his food, had a siezure, and collapsed in the hall. My dad and aunt were standing next to him, so my dad grabbed his head and they eased him to the floor. It didn't last long, and he was coherent and talking again within minutes. But he kept saying, "I'm fine, what's going on? I'm just fine, nothing's wrong. Why am I on the floor?" Obviously disoriented, as is to be expected. My mom called 911, the paramedics and firemen came (much to the great excitement of my 3-year-old cousin), and I just stayed out of the way.

My uncle was able to walk out of the house on his own, they strapped him into the wheely-cart-thingy, loaded him up, and took him to the hospital. My aunt rode with him, my mom drove behind in my aunt's car, chicken leg in hand since we hadn't eaten yet. That, too, is another story.

He's fine, apparently. His magnesium was low, and they said it was probably heat stroke. He's staying in the hospital for a few more days.

But it was quite upsetting. My cousin was very upset, came out to the porch after the ambulance left and sat next to me. He had gotten into it with his brother, who I love dearly but is an ass. This cousin of mine is in his 40s and getting married in June, and I didn't say it and he didn't say it but I could tell he was wondering if his dad was going to make it. His brother kept saying, "Eh, people get sick. Big deal. You could get cancer, you never know. All you can do is eat right and live right." Not exactly comforting in that moment.

I asked him if he needed a hug, and he just leaned against me, just about in tears. I hugged him and told him not to talk to his brother for the rest of the day. He was really shook up, especially when he started to find out the degree of disrepair the house was in. His brother lives there with his parents, but (a) there was not a single smoke detector in the house. The brother's defense? "Why do we need one, none of us smokes." (I should mention this is a grown adult.) The firemen gave him one and insisted he take it, and were very clear that they needed to get a few more. And (b) the garbage disposal and half the plumbing in the sink don't work at all. Haven't for years. No one realized before, because my aunt always did the cleanup herself. Little things like that, but they added up to a bit "what the hell?!" moment for my cousin.

So that was my first Easter with the extended family since my Grandmother - the matriarch of the family and my last living grandparent - died.

I was glad to get home.