Stars in the Sky

I sketched this from my memory of my maternal grandfather.

He was very kind to me, though I only found out much later, after I grew up, that he was actually my step-grandfather.

He was a very ordinary person. He worked as a clerk, but managed to raise 9 wonderful children.

When I was in secondary school, he had a near fatal stroke, which paralyzed his left limbs. He went on to live another decade, during which he grew emotionally apart from all of us, partly because of the onset of senility, and partly, I believe, because he felt helpless and constantly suspected that we found him a nuisance.

***

I remember seeing him sitting there, as in this sketch, a picture of forlornness. And I remember being reminded of a short poem, "Answer" (答案), by a Taiwanese poet, 罗青:

天上的星星
为何
像人群一般地拥挤呢

地上的人们
为何
又像星星一样地疏远

(Stars in the sky
why are they
crowded like people on earth

People on earth
why are they
distant like stars in the sky?)

***

I dedicate this to the memory of my maternal step-grandfather, 王书桂先生.