My Grandfather’s Tale: The Girl

Every Sunday Mark walks ten blocks to his grandfather’s apartment for Sunday dinner. Mark is really the only family member that visits his grandfather regularly which Marks gets very upset over. Marks grandfather’s memory is quickly fading, someday better then the other. Marks grandfather isn’t well and his days are slowly but definitely coming to an end, so Mark cherishes every Sunday dinner.

Mark is a twenty two year old freshly out of Fordham University, and is heading off to Harvard for graduate school. Mark is a well-polished, preppy guy he has dark brown hair that is always parted to the side and slicked back, he’s always clean-shaven and has beautiful crystal blue eyes. Mark is fit and has a great physique many would call him gorgeous. Mark is a smart young man studying to become a lawyer, but no one would ever know he was so smart. He’s very down to earth and caring, never putting himself in front of others. He’s a very caring and sentimental, never caring about himself before others, and that’s why he spends so much time with his Grandfather.

First Sunday of December Mark is walking to his grandfathers house in the Bronx which when his grandfather first moved in it was at its height and one of the best burrows in New York. The section of the Bronx has only gone down hill from then and is not in the safest part, Mark has continued to encourage his grandfather to move but his grandfather has refused because that is the house he has always lived in. Mark is buzzed in and when Mark is making his way up he stairs he faintly hears piano music playing and as he walks closer to his grandfather’s apartment the music becomes more vivid. Wow this must be a good day seems like grandfather has remembered how to play the piano again; I’m so lucky that I came today. Mark quickly approaches the old beat up white door with the number ten written on it. Mark turns the tarnished doorknob and sees his grandfathers sitting at the piano bench peering in to the eyes of an unfamiliar woman. His grandfather sobbing while playing a sad but familiar piano beat. Grandfather looked at he picture with an expression of love but also sorrow, but this woman wasn’t Marks grandfather but an other unfamiliar woman. Mark was studded and kinda angry and confused as to why this picture was here, he thought that maybe his grandfathers love for his grandmother was fake this whole time, and wondered if his grandfather ever cheated on his grandmother.

While Mark picks up the picture to take a closer look he says “who is this woman grandfather?”

“Oh Mark I didn’t hear you come in” said Grandfather.

“I just arrived, I saw you crying looking at this picture, who is this woman?” says Mark.

“It’s a long story, lets go eat” Says grandfather.

“I’m willing to listen, can you tell me who this woman is over dinner?” Questions Mark.

“I suppose so lets go sit down” says grandfather.

Grandfather puts out the delicious looking lasagna that we have every Sunday, grandfather learned how to make it from his mother, and is grandfathers favorite dish. Without much time passing Mark again asks about the woman in the picture. Grandfather begins telling the story this woman.

1942 grandfather was in France studying abroad; from a wealthy family very few people get the chance to do this. Grandfather was in Paris, France for a year from the first day of January to about mid August. Tom, my grandfather’s name, was a spirited, intelligent, down to earth young man. He wasn’t like his snobby rich classmates but was more in love with the simple things in life, he didn’t care about money but cared about what the world had to offer. He was studying over in Paris because he wanted to peruse a career as a French professor, he fell in love with the language from when he visited France when he was a little boy. Unfortunately he went over to Paris during one of the worst wars the world has ever seen. Germany was taking over countries on a monthly basis and France was on his up coming to do list.

February 14th Tom walked into a popular bar for young adults, and that particular day the bar was packed with loving couples, because it was Valentines Day of course. Tom came alone to the bar and sat at the bar alone sipping on a glass full of whiskey. Tom glanced over to the end of the bar and saw a drop-dead gorgeous woman. She had dark hair pulled back, a nose so small and perfect, luscious, kissable lips, and eyes any man could fall in love with. She sat alone drinking a glass of red wine; she looked hopeless, and lonely so Tom slowly approached this fair beauty. He hesitated but tapped her on her shoulder and asked if she wanted some company, she had a face of pure joy, and told him that she would love company on this lonely night. They sat at the bar all night talking until they were told the bar was closing. The hours felt like seconds and they promised to meet up at the bar the next day. For weeks they would meet at the same bar, talking for hours on end about everything. It happened all fast but he did fall in love with Bella. They turned their meetings into dates and there dates into sleepover. They were inseparable and so in love. Toms grades stared to slip, but he didn’t mind because schoolwork not longer was his life, Bella was.

The Nazi’s invaded Paris and began the Jewish round up, it was a chaotic time in Paris but Tom was numb to the chaos because his entire mind was focused on his soon proposal to Belle. He planed a whole date, a picnic on the green and then a stroll to the Eiffel Tower at night and planned to propose under the Eiffel Tower. It was July 16th,1942. The Nazis now were arresting Jews and rounding them up. Tom walked down the street to Bella’s apartment; he could barely wait to spend his day with his love, on this walk he dreamed of his life with this perfect woman and couldn’t wait to enjoy the world with her, his life was just beginning. He walked up the stairs to apartment ten and knocked on the door, and when he did the door squeaked open. He slowly pushed the door open and saw a ransacked apartment, with tables, and lambs pushed over. Tom ran throughout the apartment screaming Bella, but no answer. Tom ran to Bella’s neighboring apartments but they were all empty, and trashed. Tom looked out the window to see Nazis everywhere and leading groups of confused people into the Vélodrome d'Hiver, a huge racetrack stadium. It quickly hit Tom, Bella was a Jewish, and lived in a very Jewish populated area. They couldn’t have taken my Bella she is my everything, I cannot live without her, I need to see her, I need my Bella. I never even got to tell her how much I love her; she must be so scared and alone. July 16th, 1942 became the worst day of Tom’s life; the last day he would ever see his beloved Bella again.

For twenty years on February 14th Tom would visit Paris and spent his whole day sitting at the bar they first meet at in hopes Bella would stroll in and they would be reunited; but his dream never came true. He searched for any record of Bella but never found anything, he never heard from Bella again.

Grandfather looked up with damp eyes and said “Bella was the first love of my life, and I will never forget her, I’ve never told anyone about her, not even your grandmother, but I wanted Bella and my story to be known, and remembered after I die, because although we will both Die our love won’t, I loved your grandmother very much Mark and I want you to know that but my love for Bella never left my heart.”

Mark sat there contemplating the story his grandfather just told him and told his grandfather “I will never let the story of Tom and Bella’s love die, I will tell my children, and they will tell there grandchildren. I love you Grandpa.” Mark soon left his grandfather’s apartment, and later that night in a deep sleep his grandfather died happy, and was reunited with Bella.