Click the link below for Grandpa's story (2 of 5), the publication immediately before this one that you are about to read.
https://www.belfordscorelines.com/2025/10/2-of-5-grandpas-story-loneliness.html?m=1
Grandpa's children were now grown ups, and luckily, independent and married. They were well placed and well to do, therefore, could support their retired father (Grandpa) to go into business, but did no such thing.
Grandpa's children were busy people. They were comfortable inviting their mother to visit them on a regular basis, one after the other. Their mother, his wife, was constantly on the go, reciprocating their childrens' offer of visiting them, one after the other. Their father, the Grandpa, was always alone at home, without any serious commitment by the children to visit him, since they were not also inviting him to visit them like their mother.
The above not withstanding, Grandpa's children prefer that their retired father does nothing, business, work or farming. They prefer that he is idle at home, while they pick his bills, a development that he, Grandpa, protested, detested, and hated with passion.
Not ready to back down or relinquish his position by any stretch of the human imagination on the subject matter of being supported to engage in something doing, rather than listen to his children and stay idle, he made it a duty never to stop pushing forth his demand. In view of this, Grandpa was always complaining, restless and bitterly. He was unhappy and constantly at loggerhead with his children.
For most people, Grandpa was a problem. They could not understand why he should insist on doing something when the children were talking good care of him. After all, it was so glaring that he lacked no food, and he dresses well.
To another segment of the society, the only conflict they saw in the matter was the constant absence of Grandpa's wife. Most of them in this category, rather that see reason with Grandpa, interpreted his actions as warring indirectly against the Children, because his wife was always away on her regular visits to the children. For this reason, they enjoined Grandpa to make a direct case, and stop the wife from embarking on those visits.
At a point Grandpa was always sick, was always breaking down, and therefore, in and out of the hospital. Whenever it happened, the children would rush him to the hospital and ensure that he was offered proper medication by the team of medical professionals.
Grandpa's worsening health condition as many people prefer to describe his case did attract attention of his Grandchildren at a point. It was at this point that his Grandson, came into the Grandpa's story the second time.
From his first visit to the Grandpa, he, in a way redesigned Grandpa's programmes. First and foremost, he took the Grandpa with him to his station where he stayed with him for some months, after which he brought him back, and made it a duty to be paying him visits regularly.
During the period of Grandpa's stay with the Grandson at his station, they engaged extensively into discussions most of the time. This trend continued after Grandpa returned from the trip. This is because the Grandson kept to his promise of paying the Grandpa regular visits after he took him back to his base.
Those periods between Grandpa and the Grandson, were enough for both of them to engage and to produce the result that soon materialized.
The immediate outcome of the series of protracted engagement was significantly improved health condition of Grandpa culminated into a totally transformed vGrandpa: younger, healthier and happier.
According to Grandpa, the willingness of his Grandson to engage him passionately, and to also invest his time and contribute in their discussions earnestly, openly and with unflinching and unwavering interest to know his needs was healing on its own.
"My Grandson's utmost desire was to be a significant part of the discussion, first and foremost.
"He was ready to participate and to lead our discussion sessions where necessary, to take the back seat as a follower when the need to do so arose.
"His ability and commitment at switching roles perfectly, provided the opportunities for him to understand my ultimate desire, and to have a clearer insight to what my position, interest and need (PIN), indeed to know my expectations as an adult in a matter for himself and by himself.
"My Grandson demonstrated genuinely to me, not in words though, that my demand persistently over a long period of time for my children to provide a platform that will make me functionally alive and actively engaged with life, was not a useless idea, was not a misplaced priority, but really something commendable, meaningful and noble.
"He considered it a vibrant, genuine and heartwarming endeavour, worthy to be looked into, and embarked upon if the resources available could permit.
According to Grandpa, if the resources to implement the idea were not available, in that case that would have been totally a different thing, and understandable too.
"I can tell you for sure, what brought the remarkable transformation witnessed in my health was not drugs, but the style my Grandson adopted in handling the entire situation.
“It was really a very timely intervention by my Grandson. His sincere disposition in the entire processes, especially, giving me audience, granting me a listening ear, and listening eagerly to me were nerve calming, suiting and relieving.
"Similarly, offering me a space to state in my concern, to present my perspective and share basically my knowledge and understanding of the issues around me, and how I think solutions could be found, were fundamentally, a major pathfinding effort, and medications on their own.
“That space, created a platform for me to deal personally and directly with all the questions that he threw to me,
"Those periods were soul searching and soul mending sessions. They were real problem-solving, and solution-driven.
“Through his engagement pattern, my Grandson was able to convert me into a physician, and the sessions into a theatre, and after the series of operations, I was a fulfilled, useful and productive retiree, not the dead wood I was becoming in the hands of my children, who though did not hate me, have their own approach and as a matter of fact understanding of love and care.
The story of Grandpa and his business is just beginning. Keep following us, visiting us and reading us. Do please remember to share our platform massively...
By Nnabugwu Chizoba
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