My Unseen Hero, My Appuka!

My Appuka is my grandfather. My grandfather whom I have never seen, yet one who makes me feel that I have known him closely all my life.

Whenever I talk about him or even think about him, tears well up in my eyes. I was born to my parents after a period of 15 years, which is 7 years after my grandfather passed away. So, I have actually never seen this great man. Yet though, the bond that I share with him is way beyond imagination. My consolation for not being able to see him is to tell myself that my Appuka went up to God, to tell him to send me down to my parents! Many, including myself, wonder how I am able to feel so connected to a person I have only heard stories about and never met!! I guess the bond is unexplained. Credit for this bond goes to my grandmother, my mother and my father for having told me so much about my Appuka that I feel that I am actually living with him and that he is right beside me!

My grandfather was a remarkable man, an excellent father and a wonderful husband. My grandfather was a senior officer in the Indian Air Force. He was – the one and only Squadron Leader A J Johnson. The pride and joy that fills me whenever I say his name is truly incredible and just beyond words!!

My grandfather was a man of discipline. He was a perfectionist. He was strict and wanted the best from his children and his loved ones, but at the same time he was the most loving and caring person you could ever meet. Appuka was truly amazing, no matter how strict he was with his children, the love and compassion he had for them was immeasurable. My father is who he is today and whatever he has accomplished till this day only because of how Appuka and my loving grandmother raised him. The same values and principles that Appuka taught my parents have been inculcated into me by them.

My mother loved Appuka a lot, she always speaks so fondly of him and how he used to pamper and love her. I just absolutely adore hearing about him and his stories. Whenever my mother tells me how Appuka took care of her, I felt so overwhelmed that she was accepted with such love into an amazing family. This gets me to wonder, if Appuka loved Amma this much, how much more would he have loved me? Without hesitation I can say that he would have treated me like royalty. I have the desire to visit so many places and do many things, but haven’t been able to thus far. I know that if Appuka was here today each and every dream I have seen and every wish I have made would all come true. I always think that so many things in my life would have been so much better if my Appuka were here. I don’t know why but, whenever something goes wrong or off track in our life, only one thought fills my head “Things would have been better if Appuka were here”.

All that I have written is way too less for me to express my feelings for my Appuka. He is my hero. Even though I have never seen him, he is and will always be in my heart and a part of my life. I have though that wonderful hope that I will see him again on the other shore. That’s the promise that I have from my Lord Jesus Christ and that’s what will make me continue to strive and live the way my Appuka would have wanted me to.