John stood on the porch, his hands trembling uncontrollably. He had just had a very unpleasant conversation with his daughter, Emily. She insisted that her father needed to move to a nursing home because there simply wasn’t enough space for everyone. The house wasn’t very large, with only two small bedrooms. John lived in one, and Emily and her family occupied the other.
Winter. Late evening. My daughter had fallen asleep, so I went to the kitchen to brew some tea. We live just the two of us now, although not long ago, I had a big family. But one day, my husband called and said he would never come home again. He had simply fallen in love with another woman. I had been somewhat prepared for this, as I had suspected for a while that my husband was having an affair
“Listen to me, son…” the mother whispered. Each word was a struggle. The illness was slowly draining her life away. She lay in bed, emaciated. To Michael, she seemed like a shadow of the woman she once was. She had always been tall, strong, and smiling. But now… “Son, please, don’t leave Lydia… She needs someone to take care of her. She’s not like others…”
This story takes place in a small American town where a young woman spent her summers with her grandparents. She devoted herself to caring for her grandmother, only to feel deeply betrayed when the will was read.
“Dad, stop calling me. I don’t have time to help you anymore.” John sighed heavily. He had expected this kind of reaction from his son, but it still hurt. It had been ten years since they had a normal conversation. As soon as his son received his share of the inheritance, he disappeared. He never really needed his father—just the money.
Sarah’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Johnson, had always been difficult. From the very beginning, she disapproved of Sarah, but her reaction to the arrival of Sarah’s baby shocked even her closest friends. Mrs. Johnson demanded that Sarah and her child leave her house, claiming that her son was a decent man who would not tolerate betrayal.
I vividly remember the day my aunt, my mom’s sister, took our ailing grandma into her home. The things she said to us were harsh and unforgettable. She made grand speeches that could have been written in a book of quotes. Aunt was not very kind. She insulted us in various ways. Essentially, it was about how we, the ungrateful ones, wanted to place our poor, frail grandmother in a nursing home.
In vain… She was never married to Mark. She got pregnant by accident, but never considered an abortion. They lived separately, although Mark tried to be involved.
Mrs. Johnson was an unusual woman. She was attractive, well-groomed, and always had a stylish haircut. However, she had a difficult personality. Her voice was loud, she wasn’t very polite, and she often gossiped about the people around her. She didn’t mind doing it even in their presence. How people felt didn’t concern her much. She frequently talked about her problems with her
“I think it would be best if we sold our homes and bought a big one for the whole family,” suggested Mark. “Dad, I can’t do that. This is where we lived with Mom for years,” replied Sarah.
“It looks like he won’t be coming after all. My husband and I have gotten used to it, so we don’t even get upset anymore,” sighs Linda, who was eagerly awaiting her son’s visit. “What happened? Maybe his wife didn’t let him come? If I remember correctly, you two never really got along.” “Maybe so, but my son never tells us anything…”
Was it Dad’s fault? Mom’s frail figure was visible through her nightgown. Dad’s new car was another vivid memory from Jack’s childhood. Mom’s constant presence on the living room couch was a sign of her depression, but Jack only understood this later. In the 1990s, no one in their small town talked about mental health
