My grandfather was a very brave, very decent, very proud and very just man. He fought in the frontline during WWII defending my country and leaving his newborn daughter, my mother, behind. After the war he spent many years as the co-owner of a gambling club, being a professional gambler himself. His spectrum of acquaintances varied from Prime Ministers to labourers. And he always believed that the second were way better people than the first. He lived through so many things that most of us could never meet, even if we live thrice his lifetime. And he made everything look SO easy! He passed away peacefully at the age of 98 in 2009, leaving me with hundreds of fabulous stories and adventures as his heritage. He was always my hero. Russisch Leder was his signature fragrance for nearly 30 years. The iconic white opaque glass bottle with the black disc shaped lid was always in his bathroom and the scent was always lingering in the small apartment he lived in. I always splashed myself with it each time I visited him. He always laughed with my hurry to be a grown man. I cannot be impartial about it. To me this is one of my fondliest childhood memories. Something that will make me burst in tears if I ever sense it again. This is the scent that heroes wear. The scent of a tall, handsome man that holds a straight flush in one hand and a Walther P-38 in the other. A scent of colossal proportions.
