My Childhood Memories of Grandpa

1200 Words3 Pages

When I was young my parents were very poor. They both worked hard to support the family. When my father passed away from cancer, my mom's life was harder than ever before. After my mom lost her job at the drugstore, she decided to take my sister and me to the countryside to live with my grandfather so that she did not have to worry about taking care of us, finding a new job, and working all at the same time. Since my grandpa came to visit my family every year, I never had a chance to go to my grandpa's house. This was the first time I had gone such a long way from home. My grandfather lived in a small town in a rural area of the state. His house was surrounded by corn fields and was located along a small river. In the dry season, a person can wade across the river with the water coming up only to one's chest in the deepest part. My grandfather's house was at one end of the town, a long way down a narrow road. It was located far away from the traffic and lights, but surrounded by shadows and rustling trees. It was fenced off by many rows of large oak trees. The ancient roof was patched with pieces of tin and the walls were covered with faded wallpaper. In the bedroom, two old beds were set on either side of the room. There was very little furniture in the main room: a large wooden chest, a table and four chairs, and three figurines--the sole decorations in the house. I liked the figurine of the old Ship Captain with his black beard, chubby cheeks, pipe, and stout healthy body. His eyes seemed to speak and to look out for our family. In every way, both his physical appearance and individual characteristics seemed to represent my grandpa. One of the fondest memories I have of my grandpa was when he woke me up early in the mo... ... middle of paper ... ...r. When I attended a new school, nobody talked to me or made friends with me. They seemed hostile because I was new and “countrified”. Eventually, I adapted to the city life-style. I made new friends and new memories, but my childhood memories were still the best; these were memories that I never forgot and always dreamed that someday I would find them again. I felt so lucky that I had the chance to live, to learn, to explore life in the country. Four years of living in grandpa's house with grandpa was a great experience and adventure for me. I feel that I never left my grandpa's home. I accepted grandpa's home as my home although I was not born and raised there. I grew up under the nourishment and love of my grandpa for only four years, but the time I spent living in the country with him taught me to value unconditional love, family life, and community support.

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