One morning, I stepped into the backyard and noticed an elderly woman at my neighbour’s house. She was hunched over, dozing under the awning on a little bench—must’ve fallen asleep in the fresh air.
It struck me as odd because my neighbour didn’t have any family. She and her husband never had kids, and he’d passed away a year ago after a long illness. Of course, she’d been lonely and sad, but she wasn’t so old that she’d given up. She’d just had to make peace with how things were.
I went over to ask about the woman. The old lady was polite but didn’t say much. Later, my neighbour confided that she was stressed—her son had cut ties with Mrs. Betty, so it was best not to bother her.
She’d spent her whole life working at the Royal Albert Hall. Her husband was a university professor. She’d known about his affairs with students but didn’t want to break up the family, so she stayed quiet.
Her only son and her work took up most of her time. She also gave piano lessons at home.
Her son grew up, graduated, and got married. When her granddaughter was born, she adored her. That’s when her husband left her for another woman—though he refused to divorce.
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Her son and his wife were busy building their business, so they rarely visited. But they’d leave the granddaughter with her. Then, age caught up suddenly. Her husband got dumped by his girlfriend and crawled back. Next to his young lover, his wife now seemed ancient, and he couldn’t stand it. He still hoped he’d find someone younger.
By then, their son had a big, spacious house. His dad started begging him to take his mum in. The son didn’t mind—his daughter loved her grandma. But his wife?
No way was she having some old woman in *her* home. At first, the son shouted at her—this was his *mother*—so he insisted she’d live with them.
Fine. But only if his dad signed the flat over to their daughter. Just in case he remarried and they lost the place.
To keep his wife happy, the son talked to his dad, who promised to transfer the flat.
So Mrs. Betty moved in. It wasn’t so bad—fresh air, nature, family. Her husband didn’t mope for long. Soon, he had a new girlfriend. Still no divorce, though.
But the wife kept complaining, treating her mother-in-law horribly. She’d shout, even raise her hand. The son never knew—his mum stayed quiet. Then the granddaughter started copying her mum. After one too many outbursts, Mrs. Betty broke down and demanded her son take her home.
He called his dad, but he refused—he was living with someone else now. His wife and daughter insisted Grandma live elsewhere. So he decided to put her in a care home.
My neighbour found out. Turns out, she’d known Mrs. Betty for years. She felt sorry for her, so she arranged for the son to bring his mum to *her* instead. He promised regular payments and asked her to call often.
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He brought his mum over. Liked the setup. Said he’d visit as much as he could. Well, we’ll see. That’s how it goes sometimes—people taking in someone else’s family when their own won’t. Where else was she supposed to go? Life’s a boomerang—what you throw out comes back. You should look after your parents.
Be kind. Be human. Care for the ones who raised you.
