My Nan, Patricia

Even though I'm only 15 years old, I do forget a lot about my age because I feel a lot older than I am. This might be because I am one of the middle children in my family. I don't mean in my house because I'm an only child (fun, right?) I have a lot of cousins but they are all either years older than me with their own families or a lot younger. Whenever we have family gatherings or meals, I am trusted to feed and look after the kids; I don't mean they just dump the children on me, I love my younger cousins a lot, they're funny and strange and I notice things they do that I used to do. I'm so influential, no wait, that's not good..

Another reason why I feel older is because I spent a lot of time with my Nan when I was little. Before I was old enough to go to school and while my mom was at work, my Nan would look after me. She'd often taken me to town where I'd sit in her favourite café and she would talk to her friends. Her and Marge, her best friend for almost 50 years, would order a pot of tea to share, Marge would get a bacon sandwich and my Nan would get a toasty. I would usually get some toast and a bubble-gum milkshake; its still so good but so sugary, I don't even know how I still have teeth considering I had it every single weekday, Monday to Friday for YEARS. We spent so much time just doing this and it became the norm. When I started school, I would often visit my Nan on the way home; high school was the same, seeing her every Wednesday (I honestly have no idea why I chose that day because I had P.E. on a Wednesday and I'd have to carry bags of things an extra 15 minutes, urgh).
I try to go and visit her every Monday and Friday now because I understand that she's getting older, I mean she's 73 years of age.

It absolutely breaks my heart that she won't be around for much longer and I honestly don't know what I'm going to do; she's one of the most important people in my life and fundamental in the way I think, act and behave. It's funny because she still calls me Hayley, my mom's name even when I correct her. She calls me "Pat" when I call on the phone, even when I say who I am, don't ask me why she does. She forgets things all the time but just when you think she's finally going loopy, she says something so witty and genius that you just think 'has she been fooling us this entire time'? I mean, she's absolutely BRILLIANT. She called Will.I.Am and I quote- "ace" - not only did it shock me that she knew who he was, but she knew the word 'ace' AND used it in the right way. What a woman.