Hello Grandpa, you have been here for a long time, just gazing in the pool, are you alright, Hera asked
Hello, little one, Grandpa is fine, just receiving fresh air from nature, Grandpa Allwell said.
But you are always here Grandpa, early morning, and evening time, is it just because of the fresh air, your room is always cold with air condition or is your air condition not working? Hera asked.
Do you mind joining me, is not just the fresh air, my room is cold, and my air condition is working fine dear, Grandpa Allwell replied.
Just before Hera replies to her grandpa, her mother carries a tray of freshly squeezed watermelon and orange juice with snacks and drops it on the side stool. Then sat beside Grandpa Allwell to serve him.
Hera darling, do you mind bringing a blanket for Grandpa to cover his body, the weather is getting cold, Mrs. Kewve requested.
Alright, Mom, will get it, Hera ran inside to get a blanket for her grandpa.
Here you go, Grandpa, Hera handed over the blanket to Grandpa.
So, Grandpa do you mind telling me why you always sit here, since you say it's not just for the fresh air, Hera asked.
Do you give up at all, my baby, grandpa teased Hera. I will tell you why I love sitting at the pool and under the tree to watch nature.
It always reminds me of my childhood and my friends. When I was young every day after school, I and my friends would visit the stream to swim and compete, who would cross over to the other side of the river. When I get to the house your great grandma will punish me, I will have to kneel down and hands up till your great grandpa comes back from the farm.
Then I will finally get up and wash the whole plates and sweep the house before I will have my dinner. Your great grandma will wake me up by midnight to advise me.
Allwell, I don't hate you, I don't want you to drown in the river, it is not a place to play handball or do cross country. Please my boy stop swimming in the river. Learn to come back home immediately after school, your great grandma will always advise me.
Grandpa Allwell paused for a while, Hera spoke up
But Grandpa, did you listen to what great-grandma said?
Well, as a child, I was always mischievous and curious, No I didn't listen not because I didn't want to but because my friends would always tease me and call me a Mama's boy each time I told them that my mother said that we should stop or we might get drown one day.
This continued till I finished elementary school, then I got admission into a prestigious secondary school as a boarder. I had new friends, no chance to go swimming again or even pluck mango from the village chief's house, whenever his not around. Grandpa Allwell continues smiling to himself
You mean, you do go into someone's compound without their permission to pluck mango, Hera asked curiously
Yes, because even if we ask for his permission, he wouldn't grant it. Grandpa Allwell answered truthfully.
But why, Hera asks her little Bucky eyes sparkling.
Because he said that we do dirt his compound and he has the sweetest mango in the village, he doesn't like to share equally, so we often head to his house whenever he's not around to pluck some and ran away. Grandpa said relaxing his back well.
Okay, but after you started your secondary education did you stop swimming, Hera inquired.
For a while yes, but one of the holidays that changed everything was our long holiday, where l went to the village to spend the holidays and everything changed, there was electricity in the village, and some compound had dug water but we still went to the stream to wash our clothes.
One of the weekends on a Saturday, I and my friends decided to go wash in the river and swim. When we got to the River, it was too quiet, unlike other weekends. After washing our clothes it was time to swim and my best friend said he didn't feel like it but we all forced him to join us and swim. There was an electric wire that crossed the river, so we decided to do a handball.
One of us threw the ball so high that it hit the wire, it shook like it would fall, and the ball landed across, my best friend swam across to pick it up, while we decided to quit and wait for him to return. On his way back the electric wire cut fell on his head. Grandpa Allwell paused and was wiping tears from his eyes.
Grandpa why are you crying, did your best friend die, Hera felt concerned.
He almost died and thanked God for an experienced adult who was nearby and saved his life but he was never the same after that incident till he died, Grandpa's tears were flowing more at this point.
Grandpa, it's alright, it wasn't your fault at all, Hera tried to console him.
It was, if we hadn't forced him to swim, even when he refused, maybe things would have been different, ever since then I quit swimming and I never disobey my mother's instructions again, each time I stare at the river or pool, I can't help but to go down memory lane. Grandpa Allwell said.
I know, can we change the topic, Grandpa, I don't like seeing you sad, Hera said changing the topic.
Can we go inside to watch a movie she said and Grandpa Allwell nodded gently.
All images are AI-generated
Thank 馃挄 you for stopping by my blog
