"Life is a realm of endless possibilities. People meet, part, connect, separate, live, and die perpetually. Life is a gift, but also full of hardship. Beware of these hardships, embrace them, learn from them, but never lose to them." So as Alfred remembered how his grandfather used to reminiscingly repeat these words.
Not long ago, his grandfather had passed away. He had raised him in place of his busy parents and was technically more of a father to him than his real one.
He was not a particularly rich man in retirement, but always kept finding some work to do even in his old age. Always restless for action.
"... this was too soon, I have yet to show you a beautiful great-grandchild as you always wanted." Lamented Alfred in front of his grandfather's grave.
He lived to a ripe old age of 94 years. Quite good enough considering that the average was about 82.
"Why are they not here yet? Did they not even consider how gramps felt when he didn't see them even in his deathbed?" He thought angrily.
It had been a week since Grandfather Loms' death yet his parents had yet to even visit. They were not even present when he was buried and put to rest.
For the first time, Alfred had come to know how little his parents mattered to him.
He never hated them when they left him alone with his Grandfather, when they forgot to celebrate or even wish him a happy birthday. When they never showed up to the parents-child activities in school, or even when they didn't talk to him, even on the phone, for months on end.
He never hated them. Even now, he felt no hatred towards them.
They may have some circumstances that would lead to them missing the childhood of their son, but to even miss his Grandfather's burial, his own father, made him look down on his dad, and his mom by process too.
Though he felt all this rage, he couldn't bring himself to hate a stranger. Yes, his parents were strangers to him.
That was the realization he came up with, you can't hate what you don't know about. He hardly looks at the pictures of his parents, hardly hears their voices, so he simply forgot about them.
This didn't prevent him from getting angry though, "Gramps' last wish was to at least see them one last time, yet they didn't even bother to reply to the voice messages we left them..." murmured the young man.
"Oof" he sighed.
"I wonder what's this marble he left me... why did he want me to eat it after his death? Who the hell would willingly eat a rock." Lampooned Alfred while gazing at the orb on his palm.
Although he always listened to his grandfather, he couldn't bring himself to swallow a rock. That would require quite some determination.
He then left some flowers on the clear, beautiful grave and while listening to the chirping of the birds, left the graveyard.
While walking on the path full of trees, his mind couldn't stop replaying memories of his gramps and his entire presence exuded a sensation of profound sadness.
In the end he left the graveyard, gave one last look back, shook his head, and headed home.