“Dont call me again! Why waste time on something you dont even care about? I realised long ago that neither you nor your children care whether your grandmother is alive or dead!”
Finishing university coincided with two life-changing eventsmy wedding and my first proper job. I started as a manager at a reputable firm. After a few years, I took maternity leave and gave birth to a beautiful daughter, Emily. She grew into a bright young woman, so my husband and I spared no expense sending her to a prestigious university. After graduation, my husband even secured her a fine position.
A year later, she introduced us to her fiancé, and soon after, they married and had twins.
My granddaughters were eight when their grandfathermy husbandpassed away. It was a devastating loss for all of us. Emily understood how hard it was for me, so she called every day after work, sharing little stories while I told her about my days.
But then, she grew busier. When I rang, shed make excusesalways cleaning, always rushing somewhere. Eventually, her calls dwindled to once a week, and even those felt hollow, like she was just going through the motions. One day, frustration boiled over. When she phoned, I snapped, “If you havent got time for your own mother, then dont bother calling! Why ring me if youre too busy to even listen?”
She brushed it off, and I apologised. For a while, she called more oftenbut soon slipped back into old habits.
Her indifference cut deep. I stopped eating. I barely slept.
The breaking point came when she didnt ring for a whole weekignored my calls, too. So when she finally did, I shouted, “Dont call me again! Why waste your time pretending to care? I know the truthyou and those girls couldnt care less if I lived or died! All you want are my homemade pies and birthday cheques! Thats it!”
Emily lashed back, furious. “Fine! If thats how you feel, I wont call at all, you selfish old woman!” Her words hit like a blow. My chest tightened, the room spunthen darkness. I woke in hospital.
A nurse listened to my story but shook her head at the end. “You elderly forgetweve got jobs, kids, homes to run. Finding time for long chats isnt easy. Be grateful she remembers you between errands. My advice? Keep busy. Find something you loveyoull stop counting the days between calls.”
And she was right. When you fill your days with passion, you stop wondering if anyone cares.
