Vignettes — #8

Grandpa

© Daan Spijer

Josh is sitting on the back deck with his father. “Dad, did Grandpa fight in the war? You know, the big one in Europe?”

“You mean World War Two? Yes, he did. He was a pilot. Why’re you asking?”

“There’s this old man, Stavros, in the old people’s place where Nan lives. He’s real old, like ninety-something and he told me about how he drove tanks in that war, until he was caught.”

“Yes, your mum’s told me about that. She says the old man seems to enjoy your visits. What about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You enjoy talking with him?”

“Yeah, I suppose. It makes me think I should have talked with Grandpa more, before he died. I could have learned things.”

“You were only nine. You may not have understood a lot of things.”

“So what exactly did he do … Grandpa?”

“Actually, he never liked talking about it much. As far as I know he signed up and they put him on a ship for England. Somehow he managed to get into the air force and he flew fighter planes — Spitfires. Until he was hurt.”

“Was he shot down?”

“No. He was lucky that way, or he was a very good pilot, or both. No, the way he told the story, he was walking with a young English woman…