10/19/2025
I kept turning down my grandpa's birthday invitesā11 years later, I finally found a RUINED HOUSE where he used to live.
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I'm Caleb, 31M. My grandpa, Arthur, raised me after my parents passed away. He was gruff, old-school, a storyteller, a gardener, and made the best apple piesāHE WAS MY WORLD!
But when I turned 17, I moved out, and somehow, I began feeling ASHAMED OF HIM. My friends had mothers and fathers, and all I had was a WRINKLED OLD MAN.
He was old-fashioned, and his house smelled like memories and mothballs. I started making excuses, avoiding visits, and eventually, I stopped attending his birthday parties.
FOR 11 YEARS, I declined every invitation. Yet, he always set a festive table full of delicious meals, hoping I would come. But every June 6, when my phone buzzed with his name, guilt gnawed at me.
A few months ago, I didnāt receive his usual birthday invitation. I tried calling him, but the line was unreachable. Something pulled me back to him.
So, I drove along the dusty road, heart heavy with nostalgia. Then I saw itāsmoke-stained siding, shattered windows, part of the roof collapsed. His house⦠DESTROYED BY FIRE.
I stepped onto the charred porch, ash in the air, memories of his coffee, creaking floorboards, his gruff "Get up!" swallowed by ruins.
"Grandpa?! ARE YOU HERE?!" I called, my voice shaking.
SILENCE.
Suddenly, a hand landed on my shoulder. I JUMPED.
"WHOA⦠EASY THERE!" said a young voice. ā¬ļøā¬ļøā¬ļø