After overhearing his mother’s conversation with his grandfather on the phone, Adrian changed his plans to help his grandfather with gardening. Digging through the ground, the boy discovered a stash of old photographs, causing his grandfather to cry when he told Adrian a story that was hidden behind buried photographs.
“Dad! You can’t do the gardening alone. What about your back? Leave the work for another day. Adrian and I will come and help you,” these were the words Adrian heard his mother, Julia, say to his grandfather on the phone. He packed his rucksack because his class was going on a school trip to the local aquarium.
He was excited about the trip, but he went into the living room and continued to listen to the conversation between Mum and Grandpa Colin. Finally she hung up the phone and Adrian walked over to her. “Mum, does Grandpa need help?” – he asked her.
“Yes, my dear, but another time. We have to go so you can enjoy the journey,” she replied stroking him on the head.
“No, I can go another time. Let’s go help Grandpa,” suggested Adrian, looking at his shoes. “I’ll wear the boots my grandfather gave me”.
“Adrian, no. What about the aquarium?” – his mother reminded him. They lived in Atlanta and a visit to the local aquarium always brought the children so much joy and excitement.
“We can go another time, right? And today we’re going to plant trees and stuff, right? It’s nature!” – Adrian exclaimed. His mother sighed and nodded.
“All right, if you insist,” she stated as she picked up the phone to call her father. “Hi, Dad. We’re coming.”
***
Gardening turned out to be a more exciting activity than Adrian could have imagined. His grandfather was happy for their help and company. Adrian’s mother took advantage of the visit to help tidy up his father’s things in the house.
“All right, Adrian. Dig a big hole over there and we’ll plant the last tree. Then we’ll order a huge pizza and eat until we can’t eat any more,” Grandpa Colin said, raising his eyebrows and making Adrian laugh.
The boy took a deep breath and started digging as fast as he could. But soon his hands discovered something strange. “Grandpa, there’s something here!” – he shouted.
“What is it?” – The old man asked.
“I don’t know. Come on! It’s heavy!” – said Adrian when he couldn’t lift the mysterious thing. He kept digging in the dirt around it, trying to dig it out as best he could. “It’s a stash! The treasure! Come on, Grandpa!”
“Oh,” said the old man when Adrian finally lifted the stash from the ground. It was a cardboard box, and it was covered in moisture and moss. “I can’t believe it.”
“What is it?” – the boy asked, looking at his grandfather.
“I haven’t seen one of those since… well, since I was your age, kid,” said Grandpa Colin. He sat down on the floor beside his grandson to open the box.
” Photographs!” – said the child excitedly. His grandfather started leafing through them. Some of them were marred by time and humidity, but most survived.
“Many years ago, huh. Do you want me to tell you the story?” – the old man asked. Adrian nodded eagerly.
“When I was about your age, my mother gave me a big camera and I started taking pictures. She told me that one day I would be a professional photographer,” Grandpa Colin said with a smile. “Look, here’s my mother, your great-grandmother and me.”
“What happened? You became an adult and started taking pictures?” – Adrian asked, looking at old photographs.
“No, that didn’t happen. One day my father came home after a hard day. He was grumpy and tired, but I took his picture and he got really, really angry with me. He grabbed the camera, broke it and told me to get rid of everything,” Grandpa said sullenly.
“No!” – said Adrian, frowning.
“Yes, but I couldn’t get rid of those photographs. I put them all in a box and buried them here,” Grandpa Colin continued. “I don’t remember what they were like!”.
“Wow, Dad. I had no idea,” Julia said. She brought them lemonade and listened to the whole story. She sat down on the floor and asked her father for pictures to look at.
“Yes, honey. I used to love taking pictures. But I gave it up after I buried the photographs. I can’t believe they’re in such good condition,” Grandpa Colin continued.
After a few more minutes they went inside and took the photographs with them. Julia helped him tidy up some of them and they planned to hang the best ones around the house.
Adrian later saved his pocket money to buy a new camera for Grandpa’s birthday. Of course, Julia had to help pay most of the bill, but she was happy to do it. The old man cried for the first time in the presence of his family, and Adrian rushed to hug him. “You can still be a photographer! Never too late!”
Grandpa Colin smiled at him through his tears and nodded. ” You’re right, kid. You’re so right,’ he said significantly.
