Grandparents, Grand Memories

When we hear of the phrase ‘family heirloom’, our minds usually go towards a specific object that our loved ones who have passed away left for us to remember them by. But what if it’s something more than that? This object or place holds many memories, and just by looking at it, it can tell you hundreds if not thousands of stories in just a blink of an eye. At the end of the day, we find ourselves asking the same question; what does a family heirloom mean to us?

As everyone knows, time waits for no one, generations pass and are even forgotten which is why such a family heirloom can be precious. If not for that singular item or place, the stories of our loved ones could be lost forever, buried under all our everyday thoughts. Since we work around the clock, nowadays it is hard to just sit down for a minute, look around us and appreciate the things we have, especially what our loved ones gave us or did for us.

 This is why it’s even more so important for us to, occasionally, take a breather and spend some quality time with our family members or go and put flowers on a grave who was someone dear to us that has passed away.

My family heirloom is a gold-plated stainless steel Seiko watch that belonged to my great grandpa. It was made in Japan by a brand-named Seiko, that started making such watches in 1963. This watch was exported here to Malta and in the end, it ended up in my great grandpa’s possession. As I have already said, this watch was manufactured in the twentieth century, and it is safe to say that it stood the test of time as it is still worn till today.

So let’s take a trip to memory lane and let me narrate the story of how my great grandpa got this so-called family treasure. My grandfather (Tony) used to work with a company named Shell Company Limited that refuelled and cleaned aircrafts. Tony was a supervisor on the refuelling section and had many people work under his orders.

That day it was twentieth of April 1975, when the control tower informed the management that a Boeing 707 that was used for military purposes, was going to make an emergency landing as it was in short of fuel. Many fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene and the refuelling crew came as soon as possible. As soon as the plane landed, and everyone evacuated it, Tony asked the pilots from where the plane could be refuelled, and they told him that it was in the cockpit.

Since he could not obligate any of his crew to go in there themselves, Tony decided not to waste a second, and go in there himself against his superior’s orders. He rushed in with the fuel pump in his hand and after opening the (cockpit) door, he went straight to the refuel it. However, as he opened the gas cap, the highly pressurized oxygen combined with the fuel caused a large explosion and so, fire. It also occurred that, that day was quite windy, so the cockpit door slammed shut, trapping him inside with the roaring flames. At that moment his boiler suit caught fire, which made the situation terribly worse. He started slamming and kicking the door, desperately trying to get out.

After many agonising seconds of enduring the scorching heat, the door finally gave way, causing it, and Tony to fall two stories onto the hard pavement. The firefighters extinguished the flames that were on him and the ambulance took him rapidly to the hospital.

Upon arrival, the doctors told him that he had third degree burns, with 47% of his body being burned. He was kept in the hospital for a whole year, while doctors constantly applied ointments on his body and he also underwent the process of skin-grafting, to help him grow back his skin. After a year, Tony was discharged from the hospital but was still not able to do the things that he normally did before, such as going to work. To show appreciation, the company that he worked for gave him a Seiko watch, that I described earlier.

Throughout the year that he spent in the hospital, the company still gave him his usual pay checks and even gave his family compensation. After all this Tony decided to hang up his hat and spend his last years with his family. Though not long after, he got a stroke and my grandpa whose name is John, (his son), stopped his studies to take care of him and every Saturday and Sunday, he would drive him around and spend some time with him.

Sadly, on the eighteenth of august 1981, Tony died at the age of 60. Tony’s wife gave John (their son), the gold-plated Seiko watch, and said that it was a thank you from his father for all the time he took care of him.

That’s the story of how this Seiko watch ended up in our family’s possession.

Every time I look at the watch, I feel his courage deep inside my chest, while remembering the story of my heroic great grandpa, who went out of his way to save others, no matter the cost. This story isn’t just another story; it is a message that you should too make time to find your family heirloom and discover what meaning it has to your family.