When I was a baby, my dad passed away, and my grandad filled that place for most of my life. When I was 15, I was told that he had lung cancer, but he was fighting it. He also had dementia and he would forget a lot of things when I talked to him, ie, he’d repeat the same couple of stories every time I called him, but I didn’t mind and never told him.

I’d last seen him in person at my uncles wedding, as he married a horrible woman that had done horrible things to her children, so I never liked him. She also never liked that he spoilt me as he was spending money that I’m presuming she wanted to. He bought her expensive jewellery and everything else she wanted, so I never went round to the house to see them.

The last time I spoke to him, he told me the same stories and told me he was feeling okay and that he would last a while yet, so to not worry. I believed this, then when I said goodbye and went to hang up the phone, I heard him say to his wife “who was that?” It completely broke me as it was the first real time he had forgotten me, but it scared me and I put off calling him for a few weeks. Something told me I should call but I was in complete fear he’d forgotten me so just kept telling myself to do it in a few days. 

About 7 weeks after I’d last phoned him, my auntie told me he’d passed away. I felt terrible that I hadn’t called and that the last words I heard him say were “who was that?” I’m 20 now and it haunts me to this day. I know I’m in the wrong for being selfish, but AITA for it?

TLDR: my grandad had cancer and dementia and forgot who I was, so I was scared to talk to him. He passed away before I got the chance to call him again.