"I don't want to." The old man whined and threw a tantrum when one of his granddaughters offered him his medicine. They were bitter and just distasteful for his child-like palate. His Wife used to tease him for that, but they enjoyed the moments they baked pastries together.
"Grandpa, you have to take them. It's an order from my father. He seemed very worried that after the last time you got checked, your health has deteriorated so much the last few weeks. He just wants you to live longer." The young woman said, trying to convince the old man who she knew was stubborn.
Her father was the old man's son. He was a doctor, or used to be as he had already retired. However, he still did constant check-ups on his very aged father.
"You always tell me the same excuse! Just how long you want me to live?! Medicines won't make me an immortal!" He crossed his arms in front of his chest. He heard the kids in front of him laugh at his tantrum. He wanted to laugh too, but he needed to keep up with his fight. If only because it was a tradition.
He actually dutifully took his medicine, yet he liked to make it difficult to his grandchildren. He had heard that they played games for it, and the loser obviously was tasked to give him the medicine. They also bet on how long it'd take them to make him yield. He liked it when his family was this fun and carefree.
Thankfully, no one had gone through great sorrow or grief under his almost seventy years of watch. He just hoped it was the same after he would be gone. He didn't have much to live after all.
"Don't be like this Grandpa. Do it for us who want to have you around for some more time." She smiled and looked at him with puppy eyes. Since he had his daughter, who always looked at him with puppy eyes when she wanted something, they had become his weakness. He sighed defeated.
"You're already this old and still doing this?! Don't you have dignity?" He grumbled at his granddaughter who was actually in her forties.
She smirked. "As long as it can make you take your medicine, I don't need dignity."
"Ok, gimme those things." Before taking the pills and the glass with water, he startled, like everybody in the room did, when they heard a loud bang by the entrance.
"Ja Ryung, I told you it wouldn't fit!" Another teen yelled.
"It has to! Damn, can't we just knock down this door?!" Ja Ryung yelled back. He was scolded by his grandma for his words.
"What is that boy trying to do? Seriously, there is no respect for this old man's house anymore. Then, he will try to knock the whole thing down and leave me living with the monkeys." The man said, more in disbelief than in anger, making the kids and the woman chuckle.
It was well-known by everybody who has stayed in the house often that the fauna around the house was extremely varied. They were even surprised to see monkeys running wild in the courtyard, stealing the fruit from the kitchen and even some other things from the house.
The woman knew from her father that before settling in that house, the old man and his daughter and son constantly moved from one place to another. The then kids had no idea what was going on, and just enjoyed the trips, seeing new things and meeting new people.
As they grew, they thought it strange. Nobody they knew had to move around like they did. They never stayed for longer than four or five months in a city or country. It was also strange that their father never spoke about the matter, always changing the topic as soon as it came out.
It actually took them years for him to tell them about their mother. They were already adults and soon to form their own families. According to him, their mother was once a famous musician who unfortunately died too young out of illness. They were too young when they lost her, so they couldn't remember anything about her.
The woman knew that despite her grandfather being all smiles and a bag full of pranks, he hid many things to his family.
"He said he's prepared something special, and that he has worked hard for almost a year so it would be ready on time." She replied with a smile on her face. The old man just hummed, grimacing at the taste of his medicine. "Ok, now that I'm done, I have to go back and help my mom and aunts. It seems everybody will come this year." She stood up, and after giving the old man another smile, she left.
The old man had no need for special things. He was happy as long as his family was happy. He had constantly told his now old children to not bother too much, yet they insisted that they had to have a big celebration. So, they were the masterminds behind the noisiness in his house.
"Ok, break time is over. We can continue." He resumed, looking at the kids who had once again multiplied. He was now babysitting around twenty kids. Seriously, who had told them leaving kids with an old man was a good idea?
This time the eldest of them all was a 12 year old boy with stunning blonde hair and grey eyes, looking rather European due to his father. The old man was told his name was Isen and only spoke Danish. The old man was not proficient at the language, but with the few words he spoke to the kid, put the latter at ease.
It was his first time in the house. His mother, having stayed abroad for more than ten years, was able to finally make it to the celebration. She had missed them for as long as she stayed abroad.
The boy was extremely awkward at first. He was the only blonde one among all the brown and black-haired heads of the other kids. Despite the rather extensive mix of bloods in these kids, the dark hair trait still remained.
Seeing the easygoing and funny old man who was presented as his great-grandfather, and who surprisingly spoke his language, definitely made him loosen a bit. So, he sat together with the other kids to listen to him. Even if he couldn't understand what he was saying, he was comfortable.