Hums

He hummed a song to me once.
Told me he learned it from his grandfather. He would pull up a chair near the coal stove take out his pipe, light it and would slowly go into a trance. He'd tell me about the good old  days and how he's been working since the age of five.
And how he ran away from home at the age of twelve when the abuse became unbearable.
In between our conversation he'd keep quiet and bow his head. In an attempt to fight back the tears.

Grandma would eventually call us to the dinning room to eat. I would always get up and leave him behind. So he could wipe his tears.

I never saw him cry...