Mark Smith, a 21 year old living at his full potential. He has thick, dark brown hair, pretty tall and fit, and is a very smart person. He currently is in graduate school and Colombia University, majoring in Criminal Justice. What really keeps him up and gets him through everything is his grandpa. They have such a strong relationship compared to most grandparents with their grandchildren; it’s just a huge difference. The thing Mark looks towards the most is his Sundays with his grandpa. Once Joe gets out of his early morning Sunday class, he heads straight to his grandpa’s house every time. They usually have a huge dinner too, steak, mashed potatoes, salad, and all that good stuff. Whatever it is that his grandpa is making, he takes serious pride in cooking it, he doesn’t have much to live for so little things like this really make him feel good. Mark just feels terrible because he knows that his grandpa does not have that much time left in his life, which is why he is trying to have his grandpa enjoy these last moments for all their worth possible.

So on an average Sunday, Mark gets out of his early morning criminal justice course, and is headed to his grandpas. He sees when he gets to his grandpa’s apartment building that he is playing the piano right by his window. So he decides that he is going to just walk in and listen to see if he is a good piano player. Mark opens the door and he notices that his grandpa looks
awfully sad. He was playing the piano, and starring at this picture that seemed to be a girl on it. Mark listened and the music was just beautiful, but he kept listening and his grandpa began to cry.

“Grandpa, what is the matter?” Mark asked with urgency.

“What the… you scarred me, oh nothing.” He responded sadly.

“Well grandpa, who is in that picture?” Mark asked.

“It’s a long, long story grand son….” He says heavily breathing.
Mark’s grandpa begins to explain to Mark that a long time ago, back when he went to war in Berlin, Germany during World War II, he actually fell in love with someone. The thing is Mark has no idea what he is about to hear.

“Mark, you know that I loved your dear grandma so very much right?”

“Of course grandpa, of course.”
“It is just ever since your grandmother’s death, I’ve been having extreme difficulty
coping with my life alone.”
“Yes grandpa, I understand that, but why do you have that picture?!” Mark asked.
“Mark, please let me explain….”


Mark’s grandpa begins to tell an extremely long story about how when he went to war he actually met a Jewish girl that he fell in love with, but it was impossible for them to be together because of the fact that she was captured in Germany.
“Mark, during the war, we were getting attacked in Berlin and we were trying to help a Jewish family so they wouldn’t have to go into Auschwitz. So we brought them into a safe area…….and there she was…Crystal Brickner” Mark’s grandpa mumbled.
“Grandpa, explain! I want to know more!” Mark said with anger.
“Relax, Mark. She was just beautiful, I was instantly lost in here light blue eyes, her silky smooth blonde hair, and the perfect shine of her skin. It’s just….. I wish that it didn’t have to happen…” He said while nearly shedding a tear.
“What happened grandpa?”
“I ended up staying in that house for nearly a month, it was our shelter, and she was just everything to me, with the tough time of war going on, she was a perfect stress reliever. But one day, they found us, they came in took the family, and I never saw her again. That was the worst day of my life.”
“But grandpa, what about grandma?!” Mark yells.
“I love your grandma, she is my soul mate, but ever since her passing, I have been thinking about Crystal.”
“Grandpa how could you! She is your soul mate!” Mark screams.
Mark begins to go off yelling. He is very upset with his grandpa just because he feels he has basically betrayed his grandmother by constantly thinking about the other woman. Mark runs out of the door, but then ends up coming back.
“Grandpa, I am sorry, please forgive, me. I understand that you feel in love with Crystal, but then got over her and fell in love with grandma.”
“It’s alright Mark, now come sit down, I cooked a huge steak dinner with plenty of left overs.”
Mark still struggles with the controversy of his grandpa loving another woman before his grandma, but he accepts it, and understands that his grandpa is struggling because of the passing of his grandma.