Today is a special day—the ten-year anniversary of my grandfather’s death.
The room was so gloomy that day morning, dark. Grandpa sat still on the plastic stool⁺ in the living room, cross-legged as he always did, facing towards the television which wasn’t turned on. He always liked to watch it, switched to news channels at precisely seven for the daily news: he never used iphones or ipads because they were not a product of his time. They could’ve opened a brand new world for him, only if he had held on for three more years. 🙁
When grandpa sat there, he had a bit of hunchback, with a cigarette lighted in his right hand, the other placed on the legs loosely. His side face couldn’t be seen clearly as the curtains were down and the lights were off. There was shadow all over him—a dimly lit silhouette. The only light spot was his cigarette. It was sharp, a glare which occasionally moved in a really slow speed before the lifeless, motionless background. Grandpa was worried, too worried to go to sleep that he must have stayed up all night. The seven-year-old me wondered what was that about, but I couldn’t figure it out. Besides, I didn’t know much about worries, either. So I went up and called him with the usual happy voice. Then, there was a truly kind smile shown on his face.
Tens years passed so quickly. Moments of such memories got smudged like a Monet, becoming hard to tell. It was the story of another time and another world. Now I must stride on for the sake of the ancestors who has left such a beautiful but ugly world filled with the good and bad; I must stride on for the sake of evolution. Farewell, my dearest grandpa.
⁺Yes, it was made of plastic. He also didn’t like to sit on sofa when he was thinking, which was just behind him.
“The Unforgettable Day” by Xuwei
A Poem For My Grandfather
長安·安好
千里海峽難跨越，
路獨徘徊市中園。
回首變故十年間，
長日留憶祖父眠。
安知滿園綠裙舞？
好似往昔慈愛顔。
Filmic Idea
