I knew him as PaPa--not Grandad, Pops, or Grandpa, but Papa. As a little boy, he was the giant at the top of Jack's beanstalk, Poppa Bear of the three bears, and the Genie in Aladdin's magic lamp. He was my hero, my friend, and teacher of life. Once when I was little, he saved me from drowning in the ocean. I'll never forget the feeling I had when he grabbed me by the back of the bathing suit, and pulled me out of the water like a dead cat. Now that he's gone, I wish I could think about him more than I do.He stood about 6 feet tall; grayish brown thinning hair the color of sun bleached bark encircled the top of his head like the crown of Caesar. On the top of his tanned head, a small bald spot began to peek through his thinning hair as he got older. His receding hairline gave way to slightly neatened eyebrows the same color of his hair. His eyes were the color of worn, dark brown leather, polished for a soft look. Perched on his German nose were wire gold-rimmed glasses. The thin gold frames reflected the sunlight whenever he turned his head, creating a glow around his head very much like a halo. He had yellow teeth that resulted from excess candy, cigars, and too many cavities. Surrounding them were thin German lips always set in a smile to make his dimples stand out even more than they already did. They weren't just dimples, but dimples that could engulf grapefruits. A small chin and ears gave him a completed look: round and happy, not revealing much of what was inside.He had the body of a football player: wide shoulders, broad chest, and slightly plump build for a old man. Strong thighs connected his torso to the rest of his body, the pieces fitting together like a jigsaw puzzle. At the end of his mile-long body, were two big feet easily proportioned with the rest of his body. Altogether, he was a giant of a man. His tall dark features never gave way to the pain that was set inside.He was a man besieged by internal conflict. On the...
