The door opened slightly and in popped a little head and asked if I was up. He was so quiet because he was told that grandpa needed his sleep because grandpa was sick and could use the rest.

For the first time in three years I had a full night sleep. Ten blissful hours when there were no noises of pandemonium echoing from the over populated city in China where I lived.

No taxis blowing their horns incessantly.

No diesel eighteen wheelers awakening the city with air horns so loud they rocked you out of bed at three o’clock in the morning! No arguments by men fighting, because one of them got an extra dollars worth during a business deal.

All of these kinds of noises prohibited me from sleeping in China.

I had ten blissful hours without awakening to some emergency rattling my nerves.

“What did my grandson want?” I asked myself as I watched him out of the corner of my eye.

“Grandpa, are you awake?”

“Huh?” I mimicked sleep.

As he climbed quickly upon his bed that he had let me borrow I gathered him in my arms and gave him a big squeeze and told him he was grandpa’s boy and that I was very proud to sleep in his bed.

“Grandpa, you can sleep on it forever,” giving me a big smile.

I will never forget that first snowball of love from Joshua my grandson. I shall always remember that prophecy coming true that one dear saint had the courage to tell me before it came true.

Copyright © 2006 Kevin Molloy.  All rights reserved.