ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴᴛᴏʟᴅ ᴛᴀʟᴇꜱ

8. Senescent

To be old and wise, you
must first become
young and stupid.

"You should pay your grandfather a visit. I'll be there as soon as I have finished baking the pie. ", that's what the mother of the little boy told him.

He asked, " Can I not just wait for you and we go there together? "

" No. I want you to spend more time with him.", she gave him the mom look.

Now he was on his way to visit his lonesome grandfather.

Kicking a stone from the ground, he sighed, " Why am I even going? I should be playing games right now. "

He didn't understand why his mother wanted him to be there so badly. He could've waited and played until she was done.

Children from the neighborhoods were laughing and playing football. He wanted to join them.

When he arrived his grandfather's home, he spot him outside sitting on his chair.

He was old, pale, looked strict and fragile.

" Hey, grandpa." , the boy carefully walked up the stairs to join him.

"Take a sit."

The boy does as he was told.

The old man smiled, " Your mother forced you to come here? "

The boy shook his head although his grandfather was right. The man knew that lie all too well.

" What brings you here, child? ", the man placed his glasses away and folded his hands together.

He breathed deep in and stared at the children across them, " I don't know. "

That made the lonely man chuckle, " Want to hear a story? "

He's not so bad, he thought to himself and looked away from his grandfather's eyes.

Then shrugged, " Yeah, why not. "

The man stared blankly at a spot as he began to talk, " 4th of May 1936, I met the most beautiful woman in my life. I was just 5 years old back then...Around your age. "

" You were young? ", the boy couldn't imagine as his grandfather looked so old.

Again the man chuckled, " Strong and handsome too. "

Now the boy had to grin, " Is it grandma you're talking about? "

He nodded with a smile, " She was beautiful inside and outside. We were neighbors and soon became best friends. It seemed like it was just yesterday. "

He searched in his pockets and handed the boy a picture of a young woman.

The little boy never got the chance to meet his grandmother. She passed away when he was still a baby. His mother said she had an illness.

" She looks like mom. ", the boy exclaimed.

" Right? We always argued on our children, like who looked more like us. Turns out your uncle looked like me and your mother looks like your grandmother." , he continued.

" How were the old days like, grandpa? ", the boy got curious.

" Wonderful, painful and worth it all.", the old man honestly replied. " I spent my whole teenage years during World War II, it wasn't a great memory. We saw the news, had great loss and almost starved from proverty. We feared for our lives. I wasn't in war myself but my brothers and father were... I lost them when I was just 15. "

Recalling his past brought tears to his eyes, " I didn't get to finish high school and had to work as a mechanic. Your grandma had it better than I. She was born in a wealthy family and was educated well. You can guess how many men were after her and how many fights I got into... In the end she choose me.", the man let out a sad laughter.

" Your grandma's parents didn't like me much. Yet we loved each other so dearly, we managed to escape town and get married. She brought me 2 wonderful children and an unforgettable life... I miss her everyday.", he stopped talking and stared up the blue sky.

The little boy didn't know how to act and just sat there silently.

" I was young and bold back then. Got into reckless situations like getting chased by the cops. I never knew how much trouble that would cost me. All I knew was I wanted to have fun in life. ", he then added.

" Just like me? ", the boy smiled.

The man leaned closer with a smile and poked his chest lightly, " Just like you but learn from my experience, child. Live life at it's fullest, love people genuinely and don't worry about wrong decisions. There's always a reason why you did that. Time runs quicker than you think."

The little boy never talked this much to his grandfather. He started to like this kind of bonding. His grandfather wasn't so dull and strict as he thought him to be.

" Am I interrupting? ", the mother of the boy had arrived with a tray on her arms.

" No, not at all.", the old man stood up to kiss his daughter's cheek.

When she walked into the house, the old man turned to look at the child and smiled, " Remember my words, child. I won't be here one day, but my words will. "

Years has gone by, since his grandfather passed away.

The little boy grew into a young adult and he's still been missing him. The old man was right all along. Time runs quicker than he thought.  He regretted not being there for the man sooner, yet was thankful for the advices he gave him. To comfort himself, he imagined his grandparents being reunited after a long year of separation.

" I won't be here one day, but my words will. ", he recalled and had to smile as he stared at his grandfather's gravestone.