Elvario
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The sound of smooth jazz could be heard, originating from an old radio.
A few sun-rays stroked his face as he leaned back in his favorite chair. It was one of those big, luxury chairs, with a nice amount of padding to them, yet it was still allowing you to sit without back-problems creeping up on you. In other words; it was perfect. It was his favorite chair by far, ever since he bought it twenty-something years ago. Honestly, he wasn't as good with counting years anymore. All he knew that it was placed well, on the front porch, shielded from the rain, yet not from the sun. It was his favorite place to be by far, as he could watch the world pass him by from here.
“Ah, I see you're outside again, father. It's a nice afternoon, isn't it?” A woman in her late forties called out to him. His eyes weren't what they used to be, but his ears still worked well enough. He'd recognize that voice from miles away. It was his daughter. “It surely is. It surely is.” He confirmed, as his lips formed a broad smile at the welcome visit.
The woman walked up to him to give him a light kiss on the forehead. “Do you remember what day it is today, father?” She asked him, a little bit of excitement in her voice.
It made him think. When did his daughter usually visit again? Wednesdays, right? Yes. “Of course, it's a Wednesday, my dear.” He replied, confidently.
She smiled. “Not today dad, today is a Monday.”
He looked a bit surprised, as it made him wonder why she was here two days earlier than usual. His questioning eyes got her to talk again.
“Do you remember Elly, dad?”
Elly? Right! Elly! Of course he remembered her! She was the sweetest girl. His granddaughter. “Of course I remember my granddaughter, she's the sweetest girl.” He spoke with a fair bit of grandfatherly pride in his voice. After all, who wouldn't be proud of such an amazing granddaughter? In fact, all his grandchildren were amazing!
The woman laughed. “She's no longer a girl a dad. She got married two years ago. You were there, remember?”
Married? Right. Yes. He had a granddaughter that was old enough to have been married. He was really old, wasn't he? He smiled ever so slightly as he recalled it. He'd been on that wedding, even though he didn't recognize all of the people there, a lot of them had been calling him grandfather. He'd really raised many kids over the years, hadn't he? So many kids to adopt and raise. Now those kids were old enough to be having kids of their own! No, even more difficult to grasp, their kids had kids of their own!
“Yes dear, I remember. They asked me to officiate their wedding, didn't they? I preached and prayed for them.” What had he talked about again? He couldn't recall, but he did recall he made sure to try to keep it short. He also recalled he'd spent a long time writing that sermon.
“Yes, dad! Well, they'll be here to visit soon and to introduce their son to you. He's still only five months old, but they really wanted you to meet him, as they say he's got your gentle smile already.”
The very smile she mentioned was quick to adorn his lips. He'd been told that often. They might not be related by genetics, but they said all his children had learned to smile just like him. “That sounds lovely dear. Shall I go and make some tea then?” He said, as he got ready to move out of his chair. Getting up was always more troublesome than he expected it would be.
“Oh no, don't be silly dad. Please, let me do it.” She said, as she was quick to head inside. A while later, the sound of a kettle on the stove could be heard. He'd never been one to get one of those electric heater things, not so long as the old-fashioned kettle served him well.
He leaned back in his chair again, as he got to reminisce on the old days. He'd been in the church for as long as he recalled, running the orphanage and giving the occasional sermon. There had been some tough times. Children with all sorts of problems. Financial hardships. Illness. He recalled the flood that'd left them all homeless for a month. How the children had been housed in people's homes all across the country. How donations eventually allowed the orphanage to be rebuild.
Ah, but the orphanage was gone now, wasn't it? Yes. It'd been turned into an apartment complex a few years after he retired. The state had opened a new place elswhere, as the church was no longer running the orphanages. Still, it didn't matter. It was just a building. No, he cared far more for the many children he'd raised through-out the years. Many of them still visited him, like his daughter just now. One of the many sweet children he'd raised.
He saw a car drive up onto his lane. Another of his children? No, wait, that was Elly, his grandchild! She was carrying some sort of bundle in one of her arms, as she waved at him with the other. Her husband was grabbing some things from the back. Excited, Ceylan managed to get his old bones up and out of his chair again, as he slowly walked towards them, leaning on his cane. To get to meet his first great-grandchild. How truly blessed he was.
