Spirited

"No, they didn't allow us to help each other up when one, or some of us fell. Our strong will helped us survive. Sometimes the body would be unwilling to walk long distances on rough grounds barefoot while carrying heavy objects on our shoulders but the burning desire to have our land back made us overlook the struggles."

"Were you scared grandma? What was it like?"

"There was no room to be scared my dear. Of course, seeing one of us being mercilessly whipped and being trampled on made me shiver but I didn't want to be the next victim so I took a deep breath and moved on. It was something you would not want to experience, ever."

"And thanks to you, I will never experience that. You are a hero grandma."

My curious eleven year old grandson sits in front of me holding my wrinkled hand and gently rubbing the back of my palm using his soft thumb. We have been seated out here basking in the sun's glory for over an hour now. His unending questions are ever appealing and there is nothing I love more than answering each and every one in detail.

"Well, thank you William. The scorching heat will melt me. Can we take this conversation inside?" 

"Of course. " My lad grabs the wheelchair's handles behind me and pushes me into the house. This is a life I couldn't have imagined for myself eighty years ago. A time when there was nothing in the air except dust and screams and dying was at the top of my list.

"Where do you want to stay grandma?"

"Take me to the table so we can finish that game you were teaching me. What was it's name again?"

"It's ludo." He says chucking.

I never understand how the game works but I love spending time with my grandson when he is not at school. Poor boy always let's me win because sometimes, I mix up counting. He laughs and moves the die for me, taking me forward thinking I won't notice. I however do not argue with him or make him take my die back or restart the game because his definition of fun is losing a simple ludo game to an old woman. Who would want to deny their grand child that?

 "How did you learn how to count? You've never told me about that."

"You teach me how to count every day. I am the one who is supposed to be forgetting things, not you."

He laughs at my genuine words and I cannot help but smile.

"I could hear them saying numbers after they had arranged us in long straight lines." I start and he rests his elbows on the table then cups his cheeks in his palms for support and drives all his attention towards me.

"How many lines?" 

"Up to 10. Each line would be counted by a different man then they would shout the numbers to another man who always stood at the top right with his hands crossed on his back.

"Then what happened after they counted you?"

"Nothing at first. We were left standing unmoving for hours until the man on the top right returned."

"Didn't you get tired?" 

"I did but those who tried to even stretch would recieve thorough whipping then forced to stand which was ofcourse hard so the whipping continued until the person whipping him got tired or the man returned. So, I had to be strong."

"Did you ever get whipped?" 

"Yes, so many times. Where do you think I got all the scars on by body from?"

"How long did it last? How long were you treated badly?"

"Start the game first. I cant wait to beat you again."

"Don't be so positive grandma. I can beat you today and boom! Your ludo reputation is ruined."

"Don't be so sure about that. Go ahead, try me."

"Oh, I will and you will not like the results."

His genuine and mesmerising smile I wouldn't trade for anything. If only his grandfather William, as they named him, could be here today and see his namesake. He would never let him out of his sight and that I'm sure of.

"Six? We just started and you are already ahead? Well grandma, enjoy it while it lasts."

I rolled the die and got two dots but he gave me a full six and even looks disappointed. He really is William's grandson.

"I told you."

"Now please finish the story."

"William, if you are looking forward to the end of the story, it will never come. Every day is a continuity of something we started, something that resulted to the life we have right now. If you want, we can do this every day because it keeps the memories alive and when time comes and I cannot remember a thing, you will be the one telling me those stories."

"I'm confused grandma."

"I know but you will understand soon enough. To you, I'm a hero, to your parents, uncle and aunt, I am the greatest thing that ever happened to them as they say, to someone else, I am someone who is a bother to my family and I should be dead already, to others, I am a gift to you because they don't have grand parents and to others, I dont even exist. It matters to so many people what we did but not who we are. That's why I always tell you the memories so you can learn to appreciate everything. It is not always by chance."

"Don't say that grandma. You are important to me, my family, my neighbor's, friends and everyone. We all appreciate everything you did for us. Maybe I would never have been born and you wouldn't have someone to play ludo with. I love you grandma." He stands from his chair opposite me and comes to give me a kiss on the cheek. He is so innocent and the mere thought of him changing breaks my heart. As long as I am still breathing however, I will raise him to be a good man, a man like William.

"I and everyone who was part of the revolution will be no more some day and you will continue reading what we did in books but the question is, will it really matter to you? Think about that and while you are at it, get me a glass of warm water."