I've Been There Before

My name is Leona.

The name was given by my grandpa. My grandpa, based on my experience as a child, was not a good man.

Take my name as an example. His name sounds nice, but he gave me such a strange name.

Every time I protested to my grandpa, he always said that if my dad had been a girl, the name wouldn’t have fallen on me.

He was the one who gave me such a strange name, but he blamed my dad for not being a girl.

Ah, speaking of which, I forgot to introduce my grandparents.

My grandpa, Caden.

I heard he was very attractive when he was young.

My grandma, Grace.

I sometimes wonder why these two people, who didn’t seem to match at all, were together.

My grandparents were divorced before my dad was born.

After the divorce, neither of them married again.

They should have gone on their separate ways, but my grandpa was shameless and always bothered my grandma.

Ever since I remembered it, my grandpa had been pleasing my grandma all the time.

Grandpa Humbert said my grandpa never lowered his head to anyone. He was so tough that everyone was afraid of him.

But I don’t think Grandpa Humbert was telling the truth.

If my grandpa was so tough, then why was he as obedient as our golden retriever every time grandma stared at him?

Besides, have you ever seen a tough man with perfect culinary skills comparable to a five-star chef?

Ever since I was young, my grandpa’s cooking was the best in the family, even better than the chefs we hired.

Grandpa would wake up early in the morning to walk the dog. When he came back, he always had a pile of food ingredients in his hand.

When grandma woke up, grandpa had been busy in the kitchen all morning. A warm meal was ready on the dining table. It might not be very sumptuous, but quite warm.

Grandma never cooked. Her only housework was watering the flowers in the garden. Grandpa said it’s good for grandma to be like that.

I asked grandpa in secret, “You get up early every day to cook three meals a day, and you have to go to work. Even the employees have weekends and vacations. Aren’t you tired without a single day off?”

Grandpa looked at grandma who was eating the afternoon tea he made for her in the garden. He smiled like a fool and said.

“I’m happy with everything I do as long as your grandma likes it. I’m willing to pamper her. It’s best to pamper her so much that she despises other men. That way, your grandma won’t have time to think of leaving me for the rest of her life.”

There were other details apart from that.

All I know is that grandpa pampered grandma like crazy.

I always considered grandma pretentious. She wouldn’t remarry my good grandpa. I told it to grandpa, and he, who had never been angry at me, gave me a hard slap on the butt. Grandpa said, “Little rascal, if you consider your grandma like that again, I’ll beat you dead.

grandma is the best in

be good to your

dare not be good to your grandma, I promise I’ll beat you

was taking up the cudgel for

learned about the past between my

hungry and got out of bed to look for food. When I passed by my grandparents’ room, the door was not closed

feet and placed them

it was unbelievable. I ran into my parents’ room and asked, “Is grandpa a pervert?

hands and feet are always cold. Your grandpa cares about your

“Why?”

grandpa will punish you by making you practice

do you know so

Leona, go to sleep. Your

were full of the daily life of my grandpa and grandma who were

a quiet person, but every time she said something, the people in the family didn’t

were was afraid of grandma, but because grandpa was always defending grandma. This

I never felt much about time, and when I did, it was the day my grandma

passed away when I was eight years

As usual, grandma sat under the big tree in the garden and ate the afternoon tea grandpa made for her. The rocking chair under the tree was grandma’s favorite thing. When she was tired, she would lie down and

wait until it was time

day, grandpa was never

the rocking chair swinging in the wind

illness. She left

She left grandpa.

forget grandpa’s

step into the

I understood that my parents were giving my grandparents the last chance to

but all the influential people

the funeral by

grandpa’s health began to

find out the cause, but his

said grandpa was sick

was sick

dare to

year after grandma’s death, grandpa would hold grandma’s picture and look at

occasionally speak to grandma’s picture as if he was talking to

spring came,

held my hands and

“Like what?”

“Like your grandma.”

year, I was already fourteen, and I understood

I was angry that grandpa didn’t tell the good from the bad. He was too self-righteous and hurt grandma before

I were her, I would never see my grandpa again,

up and down

for

Gloria said my grandma gave way to their

waste

was like his body was possessed by a wife-pampering

I finished hearing the story of my grandparents, I was silent. I no longer blamed grandpa for not