Wednesday, November 4, 2009

For the Veteran's


They seem somehow not real, but they were two nice boys, in training, at the King Cross station. Proposing "poppys" for veterans and their families.

It is very popular in England.

Distinguished people wear them on their costumes for weeks, every where, from the parlement to the underground stations.

Finally I have also one, also I am not sure I'll show it.

I remembered my grand father, who remained ill all his life, after the first world war, difficult for him and difficult for all his familly, because he became a tyran after that, too. Everything had to be arranged around him, his needs, his ideas.

In the morning, he did not rise until my grand mother brought his breakfast in the bed. And the toast had to be just so, the egg not one second more or less. No one else ever could eat in the bed!

That is why I love it, even if it is me who brings it for me...

My grand mother loved to play piano and was very good at it, but "noise" disturbed him. She could play only when he went out to work. Music was noise.

But my grand father loved me, best between his grand children and I was the only one not afraid from him, perhaps it is why he did love me, so? He came and told me, when I was just seven: "you can ask me any question you want, I'll answer. And if I do not know the answer I will look it up in a book and come next week and tell you!"

He even succeeded to convince me that I have no luck and so it is not interesting to play at lottery, I'll only loose money!

He was proud that he served his country, until his country betrayed him, also I am not sure he wanted ever to believe in that. "I always did my duty!" And he did, until the end. What he did believe.

But he always criticized also his wife, I read a letter he wrote ho her at her 70th birthday: "you are wonderful, excuse me if I see all the small faults all the time...."

That is what the veteran's day, made me remember.

The veterans, and their family.

1 comment:

  1. That story is both sweet and sad... thank you for telling it.

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