My Grandfather was a man of many words, filled with wisdom. I remember sitting on his lap and hearing him tell many stories of his youth. I looked forward to the summer and counted the days to holidays. My favorite part of every visit to my hometown was listening to my grandfather’s stories and devouring my grandmother’s food.Being the only child of my father, and the first grandchild of my grandparents, I have always been the center of attention and affection.
School days went by really fast and I was eager for my favorite time of the year, to travel across states and spend the next four weeks with my grandparents.
The night of the travel, I kept my eyes wide open and before the first crow, I dashed into the bathroom and got ready. The journey to our hometown was quieter than usual, but I was so overwhelmed with the joy that I was not bothered.
Finally, we arrived at my grandparent’s compound and the first thing that caught my eye was the quietness in the compound. The house was unkempt and looked dull; the beautiful lawn was now covered with untrimmed weeds. I looked to my parents for answers, my mother smiled softly, held my hands tightly, and led me inside the house. In there was my grandfather sitting and looking forlorn. I never have once witnessed my grandfather in that state. He looked so helpless and he barely acknowledge our presence. He stared at nothing, like he was out of touch with reality. There were other familiar faces in the house, I recognised one of them as my Uncle, Big Papa Segun, as we fondly call him. My dad convinced my mum to take me to a nearby hotel and stay there with me, while he stayed back for a discussion with the elders of the family.
I had so many unanswered questions as we logged into the hotel for the night but something told me this wasn’t the right time to table my questions. My mother avoided any form of conversation with me but instead insisted that I go to bed immediately we got to the hotel.
The following day I returned to the city with my parent without a full understanding of what occured at my grandfather’s house the previous day. A year after the visit to my hometown, my grandfather was brought into the city to live with us. That was when I learnt grandmother had passed away the previous year. She was involved in an accident after a serious argument with grandfather. The argument was about allowing a distant cousin of my dad to stay with them for a while, which grandma was opposed to. The little argument escalated and my grandma stormed out of the house. We never knew what she went to do, but the last thing that was heard concerning her was that she had passed away before the eyewitness of the incident could get her to the hospital. My grandma was buried a week after her demise.
After Grandma’s demise, things began to change. Grandpa blamed himself for her death and fell seriously ill.
A year after and precisely two years after Grandma’s passing, grandpa moved into the city with us, . He struggled with the grief and was never able to recover from the loss of his wife.
During Grandpa’s stay with us, he was always in his room, and a nurse took care of him. Seeing Grandpa lose the sparkle in his eyes pained me. I never understood the impact of his grief until I saw it slowly drain life from my grandfather.
I remember my last conversation with Grandma. She expertly prepared pounded yam and a flavorful soup to complement it, showcasing her remarkable agility and strength. I continued to be awed by her abilities to this day. She would also dance and make me laugh as she spoke about my wedding day and how she could not wait to see my kids.
Grandpa, on the other hand, will carry me in his arms and tell me about various adventures he embarked on in his youth. I was grateful for the many memories Grandpa gave me, and I wished I had spent more time with Grandma.
The years passed quickly, and Grandpa’s little boy grew into a man. I am now a Father of two lovely boys and I hope I am able to make a lasting memories with them and live each day to the fullest, in thanksgiving.
Written by Ajadi Ayomide.
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