by Annie Zahoor

Created on: April 15, 2011   Last Updated: April 16, 2011

My Grandparents

At the crack of dawn, he would wake up. He would walk silently, out to the garden, and swing gently on the lawn swing. All this he would do with no sound at all – his footsteps were as light as a feather, his being a mere whisper. Despite all this, I would always know when he would wake up, where he would be going. It was as if the slight rustling of his clothes was an alarm to my ears.

He was my Grandfather. My beloved, talented grandfather. I loved everything about him – his deep gruff voice, his soapy and sandalwood scent, but most of all, his smile. He had a wide smile, and when he smiled, I could see the rows of perfect white teeth which gleamed. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and his gray eyes would glitter. He was an image of comfort, protection and trust. I remember staring at his gold tooth (he had one on the side), mesmerized by its shiny yellow color. I asked him about it once, but perhaps because it was a long time ago, it slipped out of my mind. But I can never forget him. Forgetting him would be like forgetting a part of my soul.

He used to have a shop in which he sold spare parts. His business was doing very well. Indeed, he was the richest man in the district. Whenever he would come back from work, he would blow his scooter’s horn from outside the house, and all us children would run to open the big gate. He would have difficulty in parking, as we all would jump around him excitedly. Then, with his promise of giving us all sweets, we would back away and close the gate. This was our daily routine.

Standing in the kitchen would be my smiling grandmother. She was always smiling. Like my grandfather, my grandmother is an important part of me. When my grandfather passed away years back, my grandmother tried to make herself strong. She would go out and occasionally meet the neighbors, and no one would ever know what was going on inside her. I remember the way she would weep silently at night, when she thought no one was awake. Well, she was wrong. I always was.

To me, she is like an old book, with so many amazing stories. When she laughs, no one can help smiling. She is very kind, and love her grandchildren to death. If you would ask her if she would like to go for a holiday, the answer to be expected from her would be a NO. There is nothing in the universe that could take her away from her home and her grandchildren!

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