This is a story of a 92 year old great grandmother rediscovering her sex drive thanks to her 24 year old great grandson.
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Walking into the house with the groceries, I heard Mom say, "He'll be there. Love you too. Bye Bye."
"Are you volunteering me or Dad?"
"That was your great grandmother Rachel. I phoned to see how she is getting along and the conversation went to things around her house needing work. Since you are a recent college graduate with a Masters now, I told her you were probably up to the task and would be glad to help."
"Grandma Rachel? I haven't seen her since Grandpa Jacob's funeral 15 years ago. I remember because that was my first funeral you let me attend."
"She is still full of energy if the phone call is any indication. But at age 92, she's no longer a spring chick and needs some assistance. I hope you don't mind my volunteering you. With you moving to Colorado next month this could be your last chance to see her. Besides, it is only for a week."
"I get it, Mom. I'm glad to go. Is she my grandmother or great grandmother?"
"Great grandmother. Her daughter is your grandmother Mary, whose daughter is me. You are a rare commodity in this family as we are top heavy with daughters for multiple generations."
"When do I leave?"
"I told her you would be there on Saturday so that gives you a couple of days to get ready."
DAY 1
As I drove down Grandma Rachel's long tree-lined drive, the sound of tires on the gravel reminded me of the reception after Grandpa Jacob's funeral. There were so many cars I never noticed the white two story farm house. By the time I climbed the steps and stood on the porch, the screen door swung open and a little wisp of a woman just over 5 feet tall hugged my waist.
Her head came up almost to middle of my ribs as she stood on her toes. She squeezed as hard as her arms would allow. I looked down to see this smiling lady who looked to be 90 pounds soaking wet, with slightly wrinkled but not flabby skin, short cut gray hair, and blue eyes that sparkled with life. She wore a dark short sleeved print dress, hoes, and black laced shoes with square heels.
"My Jacob is back!" she declared.
I barely put down my suitcase to return the hug when she pulled my head down and planted a full kiss on my lips. I even felt her tongue. I remember wondering what was going on in her mind and being very impressed with her kissing skills. But the most vivid recollection is how quickly she let go of me and the shocked look on her face a few seconds into this passionate exchange.
"Oh Jake!! I am so sorry! You are the spitting image of my Jacob. It was like seeing him when he came home from fighting in Korea."
I smiled into her blushing face saying, "Well, he was a handsome devil, wasn't he?"
Her infectious laugh put us both at ease.
I picked up my luggage and she guided me to a spare bedroom on the first floor. Putting the bag down, Grandma led me on a quick tour of the house. Our bedrooms shared a common bathroom. Downstairs also had the living room, dining area, and kitchen. Upstairs were two bedrooms with a shared bath room and a closed door she said was originally a sewing room.
She threw together a light lunch of chicken salad sandwiches, chips, and iced tea. After we finished eating in the dining room, I helped her take the dishes into the kitchen. She insisted on doing the dishes herself so I stood and we talked about the house.
"My Jacob and I bought it when we married in 1949. I was 18 and he was 20. This was one of those Sears kit homes and was built around 1910. The couple were third generation on the land. The original homestead was worn out so they built this one. None of their kids were interested in taking over the operation so they sold all the farm land over time except for the house. Finally, they couldn't keep up with the maintenance. They knew our families and gave us a great deal in exchange we would take care of it which we did. They went to live with one of their kids and died within a few months of each other about six years later."
She paused looking out the window above the sink then sighed.
"Are you OK?"
"I'm fine. Just remembering the Wainwrights after we signed all the paperwork. They were happy for us but they looked so sad. I hope I never leave this place."
With the dishes put away, she led me back to the living room. We sat at opposite ends of a very comfortable overstuffed floral print cloth sofa.
"I am still amazed how much you look like my Jacob! I apologize for that kiss. I miss him so."
"I remember meeting him once about a year or two before he died. It was a wedding I think."
"That's right! I forgot about your cousin Olivia's wedding in Cleveland. He was so happy to meet you since you were named after him."
"I don't know anything about him except he worked in banking."
"Well, that is partially true. He began working in the local bank after the Korean war. He went to night school and got a degree in finance. Then he started investing in various stocks and bonds. Over time he was making more from the investments than his banking job so he quit and worked full time on the investments. Then he bought homes around here, fixed them up, and either rented them out or sold them."
"Wow! I had no idea."
"We were married 59 years and every day with him was special. He died in his sleep 15 years ago a few hours after......"
She stared uncomfortably at her lap.
"After what?" I asked.
She looked up at me declaring, "We are adults here. I don't think it will do any harm. My Jacob died in his sleep a few hours after we had sex."
Her face was a mix of mischief and pride.
"Wait.....Mom told me you are 92 years old."
"That's right."
"That means you were 77 and having sex. How is that possible?"
"I don't understand the question."
"Isn't that too old to be having sex?"
"I didn't know there was an age limit on sex and love."
"Well....I mean.....I thought....."
"Our sex life had slowed down? Well, yes it had slowed down. We made love only once or twice a week."
The shocked look on my face amused her.
"We weren't as active as when we were your age. I only had two orgasms that night. One oral and one vaginal because he didn't have the same endurance. Are you OK, Jake? You look a little pale."
Her sly smile told me she was enjoying this conversation. I shifted uneasily then said, "Mom warned me you were outspoken. I just didn't realize how much."
"Oh Jake! I've learned life is too short not to speak my mind."
"What else can you tell me about Grandpa Jacob?" desperately hoping to change the conversation.
"Well, let's see.....Aside from finance, he loved working with his hands. The garage out back is filled with manual tools, power tools, lumber, and probably enough nails to build 3 houses. He was faithful to me and loved all 4 of his daughters. And they loved him. Since we've already broached the subject about sex, I can tell you he died with a smile on his face."
This conversation was not going as I expected. I decided to cut my losses.
"What are some of the chores you need help with?"
Without missing a beat she said, "I need an inventory of everything in the garage. Our insurance agent stopped by a few days ago. I mentioned about my Jacob's power tools and he looked in the garage. The homeowners policy has a standard amount of for power tools and he says most likely we are way above that. I need to provide him a list of everything in that garage, with photos, including the 3 autos so he can get a quote for the homeowners and our auto policies. That upstairs sewing room is going to be our library. I want to organize the books by subject. And we probably should make a complete list of the books to add to the insurance policy. And the computer is too slow. I want to see if it can be repaired. I love this house but the ceilings are too high and I can't change the lights."
A quick glance at the living room ceiling fan confirmed only 1 working bulb out of 4.
"While there is still light, would you like to show me the garage so I can get an idea of how much there is to inventory?"
"Sure."
She stood up and walked through the kitchen toward the shed. I grunted and struggled to get up. Stopping by my bedroom for the tablet, I jogged a bit to catch up as she opened the shop door to the deceptively large brown wooden garage. The single 4 pane window faced towards the driveway. It was like walking into a museum.
There sat a grinder, a belt sander, a table saw, and a wood lathe. In between these perfectly preserved relics from the 1950s and 60s were work tables and cabinets. Along the walls were peg boards holding a variety of tools like hammers, wrenches, and drills. Stacked neatly by size against one wall was a collection of lumber that was impressive by amount and type. I opened up a tall pantry filled with clear bottles of various sizes. Each bottle held screws, nails, nuts, bolts, washers, and God only knows what else. It was the neatest most organized work area I ever saw.
"Wow" came out of my mouth about a dozen times. What was most admirable was how everything was in its place. Grandma was beaming with pride because I appreciated the order and neatness. The table allowed me to take numerous photos of everything.
"I think I could do an inventory using my tablet and an Excel spreadsheet. Might take most of the day depending on how much detail is needed. Plus, we will need to see what the present value is for some of these tools."
"Would you like to see the cars?"
"Certainly."
We went to the door furthest away from the house. I turned the handle and pulled the door toward me and up. On blocks under the canvas tarp was a deep blue Packard touring car. I estimated it was built before World War II. Various tools and car parts were on the table to my right.