The Bad Grandad

I must have been about four when I first became aware of my granddad on my dad’s side, my mum’s dad had died before I was born. I was in a local post office with my mum and she had said hello to him and was completely blanked, she tried to introduce me and was blanked again. He got whatever he was in there for and then left.

“Who was that man , mum ?” I asked

“That was your grandad”

“Why wouldn't he say hello?”

“He is not a nice man at all”

I think he saw this as a way of enjoying cruelty right from the start of our lives. We were too young to comprehend what was happening , but he knew what he was doing.

He never wished me happy birthday , sent me a card or bought me a present , that was all down to my grandma, although to her it seemed more of a necessary chore. She was quite reasonable, though hardly perfect grandparent material , and was mother to eight children, four girls and four boys including my dad.

There was an even split , half the children were good human beings and half were not.

My dad worked for my grandad , but on payday my grandad would make my dad beg for his earned pay

"What have you done , do you deserve anything?" was a normal conversation each week . Eventually my dad started up on his own.

One of my uncles was short , ran a pub , and sported an Adolph Hitler moustache , and was often inebriated., and sometimes aggressive towards his wife and child.

My dad bought a small holding and kept pigs. One night my mum and dad were out and there was a knock on the door. It was my uncle , he had driven there drunk and told us children that tomorrow we would be out of our home because he owned it now.

It was a lie and my dad dealt with it , but my uncle was as bad as his own father.

If anyone applied for a job with my grandad he would contact their current employers and recommend that they sack the applicant. People with no job can have their wages knocked to the absolute minimum.

He was also aware of the workers' landlords and creditors and would use them to apply pressure, although my dad did escape that , but maybe just because he was family.

He meant very little to us, and there were members of the family who would do anything to take advantage of other members. A good family stands up and looks out for each othee , but with my dad's family there were four who stood together and four who caused nothing but trouble at any opportunity.

This was the scenario for my bad grandad's final piece of mischief.

He died.

He had made a will stating the single family member who he would leave his money to with one condition.

The youngest son would get the money ….

IF ……..

All family members signed a document agreeing to his conditions.

So even after he had shuffled off his mortal coil he thought he would still cause enmity and fighting within his own family., an absolute nasty men. Amazingly they compromised and split the money as the youngest son was on the good side, but it was a devilish finale for a particularly devious , nasty and cruel man, whose main aim was to delight in others' suffering and difficulty.

Although it would not happen in the same way , similar situations probably still go on today, but hopefully people are more aware and can fond support and deal with it.

I've decided to go with "Bully In The Alley" by Three Pruned Men, a sea shanty from Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp's post "Pirates of The Caribbean" project "Rogues Gallery" and my grandad was a definite rogue.