He stared at me with his tender eyes; his lips were trying to express something that he had bottled up inside him for days, for months, for years, for life. Today one more year had been added to his age. I looked at him, rooted to the ground believing that this was the end. His grey hair was all disheveled, cascading down his forehead. He looked as pale as a ghost with his hand shaking like a leaf.

I sat down and placed my ears close to his mouth. Grandpa said: I love you my child. I love you. then his eyes dropped…… At a snail’s pace I laid him down on his bed.The cake was still there unfinished. I took a last glimpse of him and said: goodbye grandpa, have a nice birthday.