My grandmother and I get along great.
- The only person who has ever been able to connect with me and support me is her.
And I am grateful that she has shielded me from the harm that occasionally comes from family members. My parents were horrified when I came out as gay when I was 15 years old. As a result, I managed to get away and relocate to my mother’s grandmother. My grandmother welcomed me into her home and kept my presence there a secret for a week before calling my parents to let them know I was there. Because it was summer, she insisted that I stay with her and only return home when I was ready. We looked after her dog, cats, chicken, and a small garden for three months. At this point, grandma informed me that she believed her air ducts were to blame for her illness. It had gotten too hot to stay inside grandma’s farmhouse without the air conditioning, she said, so she turned it on. Grandma started coughing and sneezing a few days after turning on the air conditioner. The signs worsened because she was using the air conditioner more frequently. She realized that a ductwork inspection was required at that point. A lovely woman answered the phone when grandma called the nearby heating and cooling company. The woman made the appointment and said she wanted the ductwork cleaned, and we waited 4 hours for the AC technicians to arrive. Because the AC technicians had to clean the ductwork, this was a two-man job. Grandma was coughing and sneezing because there was so much dust and dirt in the ductwork. The AC specialists also sealed the ductwork openings.