His hands smelled of sun and labour. Since the very first time they held me, they have never been soft. If I had to describe him in just one word, rough would be my best choice.

My grandfather had been a farmer almost all his life, except for a brief parentheses when he worked as a miner. It was very common, at that time, to leave the family behind and go abroad to find fortune.

I like to think that the time he spent digging underground gifted him with the colour of his eyes, as they were as blue as a summer sky.

He was a rough man in his appearance yet his voice was a chime of windbells. I will forever treasure the countless times he had me sitting on
his lap to recount his stories – World War II, his days in the mines, his childhood.

He sang me songs long lost to the wind and taught me games that are my amusement still.
He watched me blossom like a shy moonflower and just when I needed him most, he went for the final journey.
He was my rough, beloved grandfather.

0 0 votes
Post Rating
10 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Fuji
Fuji(@fuji)
5 months ago

What a lovely tribute to a beloved grandfather, Lorena. Is this pure fiction, or based on someone in your own family? Welcome to Voice Club and Happy Holidays!

Lotchie Carmelo
Lotchie Carmelo(@lotchie-carmelo)
4 months ago

“…to leave the family behind and go abroad to find fortune.”, this phrase makes me cry. I know exactly the feeling when our mother leaves us and works abroad. And here I am now like my mother. I am also planning to do the same with my own children (sigh). Nicely done.

A warm welcome to voice club, Lorena. Looking forward to reading more stories from you.

Lotchie Carmelo
Lotchie Carmelo(@lotchie-carmelo)
Reply to  Lorena Bellano
4 months ago

You’re most welcome, Lorena. I will if I can.

Margarida Brei
Margarida Brei(@margarida-brei)
4 months ago

Welcome to Voice.Club, Lorena. Such a beautiful name. Does your name derive from Laurel tree?
I adore your imagery in,”His hands smelled of sun and labour…” and “blossom like a shy moonbeam.”
You really captured a child’s love for her Grandpa. I thoroughly enjoyed your story. Please continue writing.
Happy New Year!

Lotchie Carmelo
Lotchie Carmelo(@lotchie-carmelo)
4 months ago

Congratulations on winning, Lorena.

Lotchie Carmelo
Lotchie Carmelo(@lotchie-carmelo)
Reply to  Lorena Bellano
4 months ago

You’re most welcome.

Recent Comments

10
0
Selected Authors may submit comments (5 Credits)x
()
x
Scroll to Top

Sharing a Post

Why do my friends need to SignIn to read the post I shared?

Actually, this is a voting security feature. During public voting, only club members can read posts submitted for that contest. Since anyone reading the story is able to vote (click the Like button), we reserve these capabilities to members who SignIn. Before we implemented this security feature, people were voting multiple times and making the public voting process unfair and out of balance. To fix this, our staff finally decided to allow only members who SignIn to read the stories. Membership is free and easy, and ensures our club is safe, secure, and family-friendly!