Chapter 14

"That night was the first time your mother and I made love since I returned, and the last time we ever made love, it didn't feel like the last time, I'd kissed Anna for the last time, seen my parents for the last time, spoken for the last time, why didn't I learn to treat everything like it was the last time, my greatest regret is how much I believed in the future" (281).

This quote really stood out to me for a few reasons and brought a few questions to mind. The grandfather has lived a very tough life and has lost almost everything that he has ever loved. But when it says he made love to "your mother," which he is referring to Oskar's grandmother, for the last time, it made me wonder what that meant. Does something happen to the grandmother? Or does she find out about the grandfather and Oskar talking and going to dig up his fathers coffin? Because she said, "If he ever sees you, you will have betrayed me" (276). That raises another question, if the grandfather knows that he is breaking the grandmothers trust by seeing Oskar then why does he open the guest room door and become face to face with his grandson? Why is he so willing to throw away his relationship with the grandmother that he has worked to rebuild, just to meet his grandson?