Chained Memories
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"I can only wonder what I'd think of him if I met him now." Matthew imagines what his grandfather was like through his stories and photographs.
"Most of what I know about my grandfather has come from others. When he passed away I was too young to remember anything about him. It seems strange that there are cherished photos of this man that was so loved, yet I can't see his face in my mind.
I'll never know if he's made an imprint on me or anyone else in the family. I can only wonder what I'd think of him if I met him now. I can only reach back into my memory or listen to the stories.
So I can see a gooseberry bush in the garden and there he is picking the fruit ... or maybe he's putting the bread upon the gas fire to rise.
I was nearly three and there he was perishing in the eyes of everyone except me. I knew little of him, only the illness that gripped him and the wheelchair I never saw him out of. How did it feel? ... of leather or cold metal? ... smooth or rough? Perhaps there is a part of him in me, but how can someone I knew so little affect me or influence me as a person. I have an image of a man from the memories of other people and the stories they tell.
My grandfather rests in my memory, but is what I remember truly the way he was."
An interview with the author
Please tell us about yourself.
I am 16 and I'm studying Media at college. I like to write as often as I can. I love films, but felt nervous of my own and I love going to the cinema.
What's your story about?
The story is all about trying to understand who a person is and if they are at all like how we imagine them to be.
Was it difficult to choose a story?
When I was asked to suggest a story idea, I thought straight-away about this story because it is something that matters to me. When I think about my family, I remember the people who are missing. My grandfather is the heart of this story.
What did you find most rewarding about the workshop?
It was all interesting but I found using the computer the best part of the workshop. I learnt a great deal about using different areas of computers.
