I've spun the random word generator wheel and come up with four that spoke to me. Sometimes, I have to go through a few rounds before I find a selection that works. I usually take the first one or maybe the second. This one needed more prodding. This is a work of fiction, this is not my grandfather or anyone else I know. That's the wonder of fiction.
Words: rough, rotten, grandfather, reason
Growing up, I didn't get to know my grandfather very well. He worked a lot. Smoked a lot. Drank even more. He never minced words and spoke directly no matter how it might affect you. Good or bad.
His rough demeanor was linked to his upbringing. In a time where a belt was the preferred form of punishment. There was no time out chair in the corner.
Could he be rotten? You bet. I'm sure he had his reasons. They don't ever make sense to a child. The only person I ever saw him express love for was my grandmother. The gentleness in his voice, his touch, his affection for her revealed an entirely hidden side only she got to see.
I saw it once. I will never forget it. There was so much more to him than I could ever know.
