Dad, do you mind if we crash at your place for a few months? Sam asked hesitantly.
Mind, his father replied bluntly.
Sams parents had split about a decade ago. His mother remarried two years later, while his dad stayed on his own. Geoffrey was a hardnosed sort, almost unbearable at times, and the women who drifted into his life never lasted long. Still, he never abandoned his son. Besides paying child support, he bought Sam everything he needed and took a firm, nononsense role in his upbringing. Strict, masculine, devoid of overt affection, yet undeniably caring.
Sam had been on his own early. After finishing his Alevels he went to work and moved out of his mothers house, renting a room in a university hall. A couple of years later he married his schoolfriend Poppy. They were saving for a mortgage deposit when the landlord of their flat announced he was putting the place on the market, forcing them to wait for the sale to finish. Sam thought hed ask Geoffrey if he could stay a spell after all, dad lived alone in a threebedroom house. Geoffreys refusal left Sam about to give up when his father added:
But you can stay. Just keep quiet.
Thanks, Sam exhaled, relieved.
He knew his father was a man of few words, fond of silence, and stingy with emotion. So the quiet rule didnt surprise him. Poppy, now five months pregnant, welcomed the rule too she craved peace as much as he did. She didnt realise, however, that quiet meant only they should be silent, not Geoffrey in his own home.
Geoffrey rose at five each morning, thudding about in his slippers as he went through his rituals: bathroom, kitchen, back to the bathroom, then the kitchen again. The house echoed with a relentless clack, clack, clack thump! a dropped mug, a muttered curse, then more clacking. He didnt mind that people were still asleep; it was his house, after all. If anyone disliked it, they could leave he never invited anyone to stay.
Beyond the morning racket, he tried to micromanage Sam and Poppys lives. No TV after nine, hed grumble at the noise. No frying, he claimed the smells were offensive. Save the light and water, he reminded them he wasnt made of money.
This went on for a week until Poppy was admitted to the hospital. To her astonishment, two days later Geoffrey arrived with a bag of fruit.
The baby needs vitamins, he said, handing over the bag with a stern face.
Thank you, Geoffrey, Poppy replied.
Right then, he nodded. Ill be off. Listen to the doctor.
Will do, Poppy smiled, goodbye.
After Poppy was discharged, Geoffrey kept his fivea.m. routine, but tried to be a little quieter. He even attempted to show a hint of care calling for breakfast in that same severe tone, or silently snatching a rag to mop the floor himself, knowing Poppy needed more rest.
They finally bought a flat three months later. Geoffrey insisted on renovating it before they moved in. Poppy gave birth amidst the chaos of tiles and paint, and they had to return to Geoffreys house once again. The grandparents dropped by a couple of times after the discharge, but Geoffrey always pretended he wasnt pleased to have guests. He did, however, light up when he saw his granddaughter, Lily. A smile cracked his usually grim visage, and he swore to shield her from any world he deemed threatening.
Each morning he whisked Lily away, giving Poppy a chance to catch up on lost sleep. He even learned how to change nappies. When the day came for them to move into their own flat, Geoffrey, dabbing a rare tear from his cheek, said in his characteristic gruffness:
Youre still young enough to live with a baby. Stay here a while longer. Not for long until Lily gets married.
Sam and Poppy exchanged bewildered looks. Geoffrey turned away and added:
Its just oldman sentimentality. What are you waiting for? Bring Lily in, start packing. Youll still have time to move, you daft royal subjects.
Sam and Poppy had thought Geoffrey was waiting for them to leave, but the tables had turned. All they could do was marvel at the changes in the oncestoic, unsociable dad. They decided to stay; after all, having a grandfather around wasnt a bad thing.
Geoffrey, now cooing over Lily with a soft, surprised affection, felt a happiness hed never known. He finally had the most beloved, most precious little human in his life.
