We all have moments in our lives that we will never forget, the moment that makes us...us. I am that person who always wants to learn new things. When I want to know about something I do not wait until someone shows or teaches me. And all that is because of him. He told me “don't ever wait until they show you, do it first then ask for help if needed”
When I was twelve years old, I lived with my grandparents because they were living by themselves so they asked my parents if I could stay with them. I loved it, because they’d give me anything I wanted, and all they wanted was for me to feel loved by them.
As the only child living with them I had to do almost nothing myself. I didn’t have to clean my own room, clothes, shoes or to make my own bed. They even fed me. I loved them very much. I never wanted to go home.
But my mother wanted to live closer to her parents so my family decided to move, and when they did they moved closer to lake Tanganyika, one of the deepest lake in the world.
It is a freshwater lake with beautiful beaches and some of the most delicious fish. I hated the fact that my family had to move because now I could no longer live with my grandparent’s and I was not able to get everything that I wanted anymore. I was not the youngest in the family anymore.
Although I was no longer the youngest in the family I was still able to hangout with my grandpa as always because he loved so much and I was so helpful, and friendly to him. In he taught me many things that I never thought I will know.
I remember one day my grandpa and I went to lake Tanganyika to fish. At that time I didn’t know how to swim but I pretended that I did. This was because I didn’t want him to know that I didn't know how to swim. Before we got in the water he asked me, “ Heri, do you know how to swim?”
“Of course grandpa, you know your boy is good at swimming. I can swim as fast as a fish”, I answered.
“ Haha”, he laughed, “do you know where are we going?” he asked.
“Let's just goooo” I replied.
We got into a small boat and went onto the lake without a single life jacket. I was very nervous. After we went far away from land, my grandpa asked again “Heri, do you really know how to swim?”
At the time I was wearing some of my favorite shoes that my mom bought for me as a Christmas gift.
“Those are fancy shoes” he said
“They must be so expensive” he added
“Of course they are, you know I am not cheap” I replied loudly
“May I see them?” he asked
I thought he wanted to look at them but he took one shoe, threw it in the water, and then he told me to go get it. I was very, very terror-stricken.
“Are you crazy?” I asked, with tears
When he saw me crying, he asked me, “why are you crying?”
I didn't answer.
Then he told me, “from now on you should learn to never lie to old people, and never pretend to know something that is important to you. You wanna know something!! Learn it first then ask for help if needed. Since you waited for someone to teach you, then you will have to get your shoe on your own”
When he explained that, I stopped crying for a moment and instead watched him.
Then I asked him “Well, if you knew that I didn’t know how to swim then why did you throw my shoes into the water? Do you want me to die?”
He laughed, shattering me.
“No my friend, let’s swim.” he replied
When I looked at my shoe it was moving even far from the boat. I could have let it go but my mom would have killed me. Although it was very risky, I jumped to get my fancy shoe. It wasn’t that easy. But I tried my best.
I swallowed a lot of water and that’s when he came and pull me back into the boat. I hated my grandfather in that moment, but that is the moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life.
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