21.07.2018
When I was younger (18) I was fascinated about war and was interested in joining the Australian Army. I fantasised following my Grandfathers footsteps just so I could live on his legacy.
I fell in love with the idea of war and protecting others, but surprisingly I wasn’t phased about murder or hurting people. Which is a strange shock seeming that I would never try to hurt someone or harm them in any sort of way.
I told my Grandfather that I wanted to join the Australian Army. His lifeless dull face quickly filled with emotions. He seemed very happy for a second and quickly stood up from his seat. Once he was standing he was hit with apathy. He remembered when he was my age and purposefully lied about his age to become a soldier for the Australian Army.
He sat me down and told me stories. Stories no man should be able to say out loud. My face was filled with sudden shock. He has killed thousands of people but has no regret. No remorse. And feels he has no need to pay for his sins.
He told me things that he knew he shouldn’t have said. And it still haunts me to this day.
He was the commando for the Australian Army. He lead his comrades into war and Is responsible for thousands of casualties.
Suddenly he decided to take me into his office filled with war related items. Opened his old dark oak trophy cabinet and pulled down his Commodore hat from when he was in the army. He told me it suited me and that I remind him of someone who is dead to him. I came to realise he was talking about himself.
My mother intruded herself into the conversation after overhearing what was said. She abruptly said i should leave and go home.
On the way out of my grandfathers beautiful old fashioned house filled with war commodities he shook my hand and whispered in my ear “I will sign you up to the army. Without your parents will. You will do me proud.”
On the trip home I didn’t say a word to my mother. Knowing that I was going to join the army (as so I thought) still hadn’t settled in yet. I was quite dumbfounded about what just happened.
That night I found it difficult to sleep. I tossed and turned, had a warm cup of milk mixed with honey and 5mg of some pure melatonin. But my eyes were still glued wide open to the ceiling playing the stories he told me in my head. Feeling like I was there to whiteness it all.
22.07.2018
At this point and time I was still wide awake. Still repeating the Tragedies and casualties in my mind.
Suddenly I heard my old rotary dial phone start ringing from the living room. I was confused but at the same time unsettled by the old ringing noise it made. This phone never rings. And I mean Never.
The rotary dial phone was still plugged into the wall but no one ever called it. Nor did anyone have the number for it.
I got out of bed, completely wide awake and started walking towards the phone. As I walked closer it got louder, the noise from the phone made the hair on my arms stick up filled with goosebumps. Having a feeling that this phone call could do something I would never grant to anyone.
I picked up the phone. I put it up to my right ear and didn’t say a word. No one spoke on the other end. I decided to say a simple “hello” after a mere 10 odd seconds.
To my surprise I got a response. It was my grandpa at the other end.
“Son. I need you to come to my house as soon as possible.” I could hear pain and agony coming from his voice.
I didn’t know what to say other than a broken and soundless
“O-okay. Are y-you okay?”
The dial phone suddenly hung up.
I walked back to bed unsettled. Knowing something bad has happened.
And yet I still did not fall asleep.
08:46
I woke up and swiftly but quickly put on my beautiful gray suit along with my trench coat and black flat cap.
I rushed out the door drove over to my grandfathers house, with no sleep and without a single bite of food.
I didn’t call him or tell him what time I would arrive at his house. All i remember is he told me to park behind the back entrance to the house.
Once I got there he rushed me inside through the back door into his beautiful royal house.
I was sat down accros from him at a big round dark oak table. He put his hands together in front of him on the table. He sat there glaring at me for a mere 20 seconds without changing the emotion on his face nor saying a word.
He then said in a deep momentous voice.
“If you say a word to anyone about anything I told you last night, I will personally put you in jail for the rest of your life. Or I will have to kill you with my bare hands.” -08:50
I paused in place. I did not move, I didn’t even dare to breathe. There was a brief silence across the entire house. The silence was so loud that it felt deafening.
My ears were ringing and my whole body was feeling spinny and felt like shaking from the inside out. It felt like i just tried nicotine for the first time. But yet I didn’t show it to him.
A couple seconds later I unfroze myself. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my silver antique cigarette case with my silver antique flip lighter.
I pulled out a single imported Marlboro red cigarette, put it up to my mouth. Rubbed it against my lips so the paper wouldn’t stick. Brung up my lighter and lit the cigarette.
Once the cigarette was lit I puffed a couple of the first smoke clouds out into the air. Still the silence was deafening. I could hear the cigarette paper crackle and burn.
I pulled a long drag from the cigarette and blew it into is face and responded.
“I will do what you say. But I want one thing in return. You will sign me up for intelligence training under your supervision with only the best men in your corporation to train me. I will live on your legacy. But. (With another drag from then cigarette) All the money you have sitting in the bank with no use for you to use, will go to your family. The oldest child gets the most money and assets. And descends down the list to the youngest of your children.” 08:53
He looked at me with shock but at the same time pleasure.
Suddenly he stood up shook his arm with his old gold 1970s Rolex. Reached his right arm out and agreed by shaking my hand.
I took another drag from my cigarette, blew it out in front of him. Put the cigarette back onto my lips. Reached out my arm and shook his hand firmly.
I put out the half smoked cigarette into his crystal ashtray, picked up my trench coat, put it on as well as my hat and walked out the front door.
When I got into my car, the long awaited shock finally hit me. I realised that he has cameras and microphones in his house and must have gotten a call because of what they heard from my grandfather the night before.
I knew he was on psych medicine and came to the conclusion that the drugs made him speak about his confidential information.
That same week I got a call from a random person on the same rotary dial phone. I was told to meet this mysterious peculiar person at a set location given to me in coordinates.
My training was about to start.
I was proud to live on my grandfathers legacy.
(I hope you enjoyed this story. This story is a mix of truth that I have lived through mixed with some fiction.)
(If you want a part two let me know.)
27.12.23