A story of everyday life

From childhood, his parents instilled in the now-retired primary school teacher Eusebio the values ​​of honesty, sincerity, and truth, regardless of the consequences, as well as perseverance, discipline, and keeping one's word. These were essential for a peaceful life, free from harm to those around him. Following this commendable tradition, he dedicated himself to demonstrating these principles to his granddaughter, Anaís, through his actions. However, for Eusebio, patience when these principles were violated was not exactly one of his virtues, just like many other flaws that have shaped his life.

Anaís's sensitivity to art, the depth of her questions about life and the whys of things, and her aptitude for numbers often made her grandfather forget that she was only 12 years old. Four years earlier, because of the immense love they shared, her grandfather, having recently overcome a difficult battle with cancer, was trying to explain to the girl what his departure from this earthly world might be like if the disease were to return. Anaís, with tears in her eyes and unwilling to accept the explanation her grandfather was giving her, using the example of some flowers in the garden, angrily retorted, "I forbid you to die. I don't want you to die, I don't care..."

With that intensity, the girl could react to anything that threatened to take away her hero, confidant, advisor, and tutor. Years passed, and the beautiful relationship, as was natural, experienced its ups and downs when two generations are different. Soon, they would both have one more lesson to learn.

It had been a tough week for Anaís, as the teachers bombarded their students with topics and assignments to make up for the time lost due to the plague that had struck the small village in the Latin American highlands. Despite repeated reprimands and complaints from her grandfather about not having kept her promise to study arithmetic with him, the girl managed to complete the assignments for her other subjects to a certain extent, but she trusted, as always, that at the last minute her "savior" would come to the rescue.

Eusebio had solved all of Anaís's math problems for her well in advance, handed them in, and only needed to explain them so she could copy them into her notebook. There were barely 48 hours left to hand them in, and Anaís hadn't made the slightest effort to look for her grandfather outside her house. Already annoyed and certain that history would repeat itself, Eusebio went to his granddaughter's house and asked her, "What happened to your math homework?"

"I've been doing my other chores," the frightened girl said.

- But you do them morning, noon and night, and it's impossible for you to come and explain to me what's happening, even though I gave you enough time because I thought you had a lot of work?

"Well, she has been busy," the girl's mother interjects, "but she has also had time, and she knows how demanding you are about commitments!"

Anaís, frightened, knows that she doesn't have much time left and that her grandfather is the only person in the humble hamlet who can help her, and desperately she runs to find her notebooks so that her grandfather can help her.

"You know what, Anaís?" her grandfather remarked. "I assume you can handle your chores on your own. I don't think I need to be made a fool of again by you promising me things you don't want to or can't deliver."

-Excuse me, grandpa. Let's do our homework, please.

"No, Anaís, you don't understand. You're intelligent, don't underestimate me. Do what you have to do. I think I'm superfluous."

"Well, but she's also a child," the mother argues.

-Yes, but he doesn't need me anymore.

Eusebio, annoyed and disappointed, leaves and heads home, pondering what might become his final decision. The next day, Anaís, notebooks in hand, goes to apologize to her grandfather, intending to do her homework.

Grandpa, I know I was irresponsible. I apologize. Please, let's do our homework.

The grandfather asks her to accompany him back to the girl's house, and once there he says to both of them:

-Anaís, I made a grave mistake by trying to make myself indispensable to your studies. Whenever you want to talk to me about something, or want to read together, if you want to sing or simply be with me, come to me. But from this moment on, and for the rest of your studies, don't come to me for explanations.

Anaís burst into tears when she saw that the man who had been her moral, spiritual support and confidant, was leaving her like a ship adrift, with the certainty that her grandfather never went back on his word when he made a decision.

"But she's just a child!" Eusebio's mother and former daughter-in-law snapped, annoyed with both of them. Seeing Anaís crying and following her grandfather, she added:

"Come back Anaís," he said sarcastically. "He's right, nobody is indispensable."

There began the most difficult moments in the hearts and minds of these two people, so far apart in age, yet with a love that had never been tested in such a way. Anaís was experiencing the agonizing separation of her parents. She couldn't believe that another of her most beloved people was also somehow being taken out of her life. Eusebio, with his boundless love for the girl and his attempts to equip her with the tools she needed for her future, struggled to accept that her strict and irrevocable way of making decisions, however justified they might seem, was sending his granddaughter's future down a potential precipice, given the limited educational and guidance options available in that humble mountain hamlet.

Three days of torment seemed like an eternity to both of them. Anaís arrived at her grandfather's house and, her voice breaking with sobs, said: "Grandpa, I'm willing to accept and respect your decision not to teach me anymore, but I don't want to lose you." To which her grandfather replied, with a lump in his throat, seeing his granddaughter's courage and sincerity:

"Anaís, it's true you've been irresponsible, but I believe no seemingly righteous habit justifies depriving a child of the opportunity to learn. I'm ashamed of my attitude, and I couldn't face you, anyone, or even myself if I maintained this absurd position. I apologize, and let's do whatever it takes to improve our relationship, both in life and in our studies." They embraced and felt the infinitely great power of love when everyone wants to and does their part to live with inner peace and harmony.

Master Eusebio