Grandpa Dan

The nursing home was bursting with holiday spirit when children from children's home were visiting senior citizens during the Christmas season. When the small, sweet gifts and Christmas cards were exchanged, and songs were sung, and as the music played, and  Christmas feast was being eaten, a little ten-year-old boy sat on an old man’s lap, talking and laughing, both were inadvertently drawn to each other. When it was time to go, the boy turned to old man, waved and yelled, “Bye, grandpa! See you tomorrow!” The old man smiled and proudly looked around, because now he felt that he had a grandson to call his own.  Then he rolled his wheelchair into his room and quickly fell asleep in an exhausted but happy state of mind.

The boy, his name was Josh, kept visiting every weekend, to the envy and amusement of many residents, just like clockwork. The old man, his name was Dan, gave his time and energy to Josh without any regrets, even though he felt tired and at times confused. The harmony of a newfound friendship mesmerized him. He just could not let go of this late gift from his destiny – the naive and pure love of a child. That love came to him without warning, without calculation or a blue-print, without expectation, it just was. The loneliness and the bitterness were gone, and the eighty-year-old Dan bloomed: his cheeks glowed red; his wrinkles formed a smile; his bushy, white eyebrows would rise jokingly, and a sparkle nested inside his deep blue eyes.

One time little Josh came to the nursing home in a sad mood. He confessed to Dan that the other day he hit one bully at his school, which was not allowed, so he received detention. While serving detention he lost track of time and was afraid that he would never be let out of that lonely room. He started worrying if after what he had done he would ever get to Heaven. Josh finished talking and looked like he was ready to shed a tear. Only one tear showed up at the edge of his eyelashes, because at that moment Dan started calming him down right away. He said, “Don’t worry, Josh, I will fix it for you. When I am gone, I will talk to God and ask him to spare for you a place in Heaven, since you prevented that bully from hurting someone else.” Josh looked him in the eyes with deep appreciation and then sighed, “You will?” ”Yes,” reassured him Dan. The boy nodded and smiled, “But no rush, grandpa, no rush… I’ll bring a ball next time. Do you want to play football?”

The next weekend Josh ran in with a ball in his arms and with a red face exclaimed, “Grandpa! Grandpa! Let’s go play football!” The nurse met him at the entry to the room. Everything got quiet. ”Josh,” she said, “Grandpa Dan died last night.” Josh stared at her for a moment, as the ball fell out of his hands and  rolled down the hall. Josh tried to keep a straight face, but could not hide the unrelenting grimace of unbearable pain, and tears of shock ran down his puffy cheeks like waterfalls. His head fell low, and his shoulders slouched, while the nurse gently petted his head. “I told him – no rush!” cried out Josh incomprehensibly through his sobs as his shoulders heaved violently.

That year a new boy showed up in Josh’s class at school. He was really just a little red-headed bag of bones with spiky hair. The two boys quickly became friends and often played football together. One of those sunny days the boys were walking amidst the tall trees along the alley and Josh was holding his arm around his friend’s shoulder. Then Josh said, “You know what? If you ever get in trouble for something, don’t be scared. I will probably be gone before you, since I am three months older, and I will ask God to spare you a place in Heaven. I know I’ll be in Heaven, that’s what Grandpa Dan said.” His friend looked at him with warmth in his eyes and hugged him back.

So they walked on, two little boys, amidst tall trees, surrounded by wild flowers and birds and butterflies, under deep blue skies, towards their destinies, towards the intimidating and exciting horizon of the future and Grandpa Dan’s spirit guided them on.