Grandson Helps Dementia-Stricken Grandfather, Discovers Family Secret
Alex had never truly known his grandfather. He was an octogenarian, a former soldier who had always lived abroad. When Alex learned that his grandfather was moving back to his old hometown, he decided to return as well.
His grandfather was stricken with dementia, and Alex wanted to make the most of the short time left to finally learn more about him. Little did Alex know that he would soon uncover more than he had bargained for.
A Startling Discovery
Alex could not believe what he had just found. He was nearly finished clearing out his grandfather's attic when he stumbled upon something that made him unable to leave.
With trembling hands and disbelief, Alex read the lines over and over again. His always kind, helpful, and loving grandfather didn't seem so lovable anymore. He had been deceived.
Confronting the Secret
Alex wanted to confront his grandfather with the finding. But how could he ever look him in the eye again? And how would his grandfather react? Would he even remember?
Suddenly, he heard the creaking of the ladder leading to the attic. "Alex, are you almost done?" his grandfather asked. Alex had to make a decision: should he confront his grandfather with the knowledge or hide the evidence again?
Facing Him
Never had he struggled so hard to make a decision. There was no way around it anymore. Alex had to face his grandfather. He turned around and saw the shock in his eyes as he noticed the object. "Where did you find that?!"
But what was it that Alex had found in his grandfather's attic? What had his grandfather lied about? And why was Alex's world falling apart? To understand, we must go back four days.
The Doorbell Rings
Throughout his life, Alex had heard countless stories about his grandfather. But now, he wanted to hear them from him directly. He walked up to the front door and anxiously pressed the doorbell.
Not long after, he heard the sounds inside his grandfather's house as he slowly made his way to the front door, using his cane for support. The sounds grew closer.
He Didn't Recognize Him
His grandfather, William, opened the door, looking confused and said, "Can I help you, young man?" Alex furrowed his brow. "It's me, Grandpa. Your grandson Alex. Your grandson! Gregor's son?"
William paused, taking a moment to think. Then his expression changed and he smiled broadly. "Alex!" he exclaimed, opening his arms for a hug. "Good to see you!"
His Dementia Had Worsened
The encounter did not unfold as Alex had expected. William's dementia had significantly worsened since his last visit. But he was glad that he could still remember Alex fairly quickly.
Alex entered his grandfather's house and instantly recognized everything. All his grandfather's belongings were in the exact same places where he had last seen them.
Polite Conversation
William poured a glass of water for his grandson Alex, and they sat down in the living room. They engaged in polite conversation about William's life, and Alex also shared what he had in mind.
The longer they spoke, the better William seemed to remember his grandson. However, what Alex didn't mention was that he had actually come to visit for more than one reason.
Clearing out the Attic
On this Sunday morning, Alex had actually gone to his grandfather's house for a completely different reason. He wanted to clear out the untouched attic.
Since William was a veteran, Alex hoped to find treasures and memories from his time in the military. William was happy to see Alex again and appreciated his help.
A Cloud of Dust
With determination and a sense of nostalgia, Alex climbed the creaking ladder, pushing aside cobwebs. The air was filled with the scent of old books and forgotten memories.
Alex slowly opened the hatch, and a cloud of dust descended. The dust made Alex cough, and he nearly lost his balance. His treasure hunt could have been a failure before he even reached the attic.
He Needed a Mask
Quickly, Alex closed the hatch again. Without enough air to breathe, he wouldn't survive a day in the dusty attic. He needed a mask to cover his mouth and nose.
So he quickly ran to the store around the corner and bought a mask for protection against dust, as well as gloves in case something was decaying up there. The thought made him shudder.
Filled to the Brim
When he returned to his grandfather's house, he climbed the ladder once again and opened the hatch a second time. Now wearing a mask and gloves, he felt prepared for anything.
As Alex entered the attic, he was astonished by what he saw. The attic was filled to the brim with boxes and other items. It looked like a mix of storage room and junkyard.
A Lengthy Process
Everything in the attic was covered in dust and cobwebs, making it difficult to see what lay beneath. It was evident that his grandfather hadn't been up here for years.
Alex did his best to remove all the dust with a vacuum cleaner at first. However, even that proved to be a lengthy process as he had to change the vacuum cleaner bag multiple times.
A Whole Day's Work
Finally, he resorted to using a trusty brush and dustpan to shovel all the dust into the trash. It was an entire day's work, and he had to pause for the day once everything was clean.
Before heading downstairs, he looked at all the stacked items and couldn't wait to go through everything the next day. It seemed like everything was ready for the treasure hunt.
He Did Something Unexpected
The following day, Alex returned to his grandfather's house, feeling cheerful and excited. He immediately made his way to the attic but encountered something unexpected.
Alex's grandfather had locked the attic and couldn't remember why or where he had left the key. There was only one thing Alex could do: he had to help his grandfather find the key.
On the Search for the Key
During the search, William often forgot what they were looking for. It was clear that his dementia was worsening rapidly. It made Alex sad, but also ignited a fire in him to finish the attic as quickly as possible.
Alex had hope that his grandfather, while viewing his old belongings, might remember some moments he had experienced in the past.
He had to hurry
Luckily, Alex quickly found the key in the utensil drawer. He almost ran to the attic and unlocked it to start working. He had lost the time of a whole morning and had to hurry to stay on schedule.
Since he was only in town for a week, the attic had to be cleared out by Saturday. It was a Herculean task, as the treasures were hidden among mountains of unimportant, old, and broken things.
An Ocean of Memories
As Alex resumed his task of cleaning up the attic, he immersed himself in the ocean of memories that lay before him. Box by box, he carefully opened them and examined the contents.
He found old photos of his grandfather in his military uniform. There were medals, certificates, and even a worn-out diary filled with faded ink. These would surely be valuable pieces to stimulate his grandfather's memory.
A Strong Connection
Each item told a story, a chapter from his grandfather's life that he had never known. Alex couldn't help but feel a deep respect for the man who fought for his country and endured so much.
With each discovery, Alex felt a stronger connection to his grandfather's past. He admired his grandfather's bravery in fighting and standing up for the country as a soldier.
He Found Something
As Alex continued to work on the attic in the following days, he cleared out more and more. Slowly, a path was being created through the clutter, making it easier to move around.
He even found a window that he could clean to let in some light. Then, on the fourth day of attic cleaning, Alex suddenly came across something he never expected.
A Hidden Door
After disposing of many boxes of useless items, to his great surprise, Alex found a hidden door. It had been concealed behind stacks of boxes and was not visible before.
The boxes had been placed against the door, perhaps to hide it from anyone who entered. But when Alex asked his grandfather about it, he had no idea what he was talking about. Alex suspected it was due to his grandfather's dementia.
It Wasn't Locked
Curiosity filled Alex as he quickly and carefully moved the boxes away and revealed the mysterious door. It was old and weathered, with paint peeling off in some places.
Without hesitation, he turned the rusty doorknob and opened it. He was surprised to find that the door wasn't locked, and even more surprised to see what it revealed: a small room.
An Impromptu Office
The room was dimly lit by a small window in one of the walls. Cabinets filled with books lined the other walls. Dust covered the room, but there was no clutter lying around.
In the middle of the room, there was an old, small desk with an open notebook on it. Alex slowly approached the notebook, picked it up, turned it around, and looked at the cover.
A Strange Notebook
"On it" Dinge, die mir leid tun "was written on the cover of the notebook. Alex frowned. Why would his grandfather write down things he felt sorry for? He felt that he was on the trail of a secret.
And how could someone fill a whole notebook with things that caused them sorrow? Just as he was about to open the notebook and read the entries, he heard his grandfather calling for him.
A Rifle aimed at Alex
"Hello ?! Who's up there ?!" his grandfather shouted. He must have forgotten I was here, Alex thought. "It's me, Grandpa! Alex, do you remember? I'm here to clean out your attic!" He went to the hatch and lowered his head.
There, he saw his grandfather standing in the hallway, holding a rifle in his hand. Alex immediately turned pale with fear. Pale with fear, he thought: This can't be happening now!
An Attempt to Explain
"Grandpa!" Alex shouted as he quickly went down with his hands raised. "It's me, Alex, your grandson! I'm Gregory's son! We've been cleaning the attic together for a week already!"
His heart was racing in his chest. He had heard about people with dementia and their anger. The disease often led to fear and anger, but Alex never thought his grandfather could become aggressive.
What should he say?
Slowly, William lowered his rifle. "Gregory?" he said softly, staring at Alex. "It... it's you, my son, I didn't recognize you," he went to embrace Alex.
"I haven't seen you in a long time, Gregory! How are you and Miranda?" Alex didn't know what to say. He didn't want to lie to his grandfather, but he also didn't want to upset him again.
Playing Along
So, he played along a little. "Miranda is doing well. She's at home with the kids. I'm here to help you clean out the attic." William nodded and turned around.
"I'll make you some tea," he said as he disappeared downstairs. Phew, Alex thought, finally able to calm down. He had to sit down, his knees trembling, but the color returned to his face.
He Lied Because He was in the Military
Alex later found out that his grandfather had lied to him his whole life. He hadn't been a veteran after all. As Alex read through the pages in his grandfather's notebook, he had a difficult time swallowing.
He realized that his grandfather had been a spy many years ago. And if he believed the notes, he wasn't someone anyone would want to encounter. He worked for corrupt people.
Trained as a Spy
In his notebook, his grandfather expressed his shame for his actions and explained that he wanted to quit once he met his wife, Alex's grandmother.
William was discovered as a young boy and was trained as a corrupt spy for various dangerous individuals throughout his life. It wasn't until he came of age that he was allowed to stop.
He had to let it go
Alex couldn't believe what he was reading. This changed everything about his grandfather. But he couldn't do anything. Confronting his grandfather, who suffered from debilitating dementia, would be cruel.
No, the only thing he could do was immediately let go of this newfound knowledge. And he did. Alex finished cleaning the attic and said goodbye to his grandfather.
The End
When he arrived home, he called his father to tell him about his discovery. His father was just as shocked as he was but understood why he hadn't confronted his grandfather.
They decided to let it go and ensure that William could spend the rest of his life in comfort. The next day, they would visit William together to take away the rifle.