At the moment a lot of people write that the modern generation is cruel and indifferent, they do not want to help the elderly and treat them improperly. And yet they have a duty to look after the elderly. But here’s how it is sometimes – a story from life.
“My grandfather was crazy about me! He showered me with gifts, took me for walks, and my grandmother was still a woman in full blossom, and basically did only herself and her business. She went to work, invited her friends over, kept the house. In my recollections, there is not a moment when she at least once in her day off devoted time to me and took me for a walk or read me a fairy tale. Only Grandpa took care of me. And when Grandpa went to work abroad, Grandma preferred to forget about me. Even though we lived on the neighboring streets. At that time I was about six years old. I remember that time very well. At that time I was mostly taken care of by my maternal grandparents. My grandfather on my father’s side also sent parcels, dresses, dolls, hairpins and toys.
Grandpa, after a couple or three years, was able to earn a certain amount of money. Then he moved to another country. He and my grandmother sold the house next to us and bought another place for themselves there. At that time there wasn’t much Internet yet. So not everyone even had a telephone. At first we corresponded. We sent each other letters. Then my grandfather got sick and died a few months later. My grandmother didn’t want to keep in touch. At first my mother and I wrote to her, asking if she needed our help.
My father and mother were divorced at that time and didn’t live together. They each had their own family. My father went with his new family to stay with my grandfather when he got sick. They took care of grandfather, bathing him, feeding him, and treating him. In fact, grandfather died in my father’s arms. After my grandmother was widowed, they all decided to live together, and they rented an apartment in our town. My father’s new spouse ran the household, developed the vegetable garden. She made arrangements with her neighbors for fresh, fresh milk from under their cow, grew vegetables, and did winter preserves. After a while they had children, who were given the names of their grandparents.
From time to time I called my grandmother, we had to communicate. And my mother wasn’t mad at them. She always spoke well of her former relatives. Grandma often complained on the phone about the little grandchildren, that they were noisy and rude, annoying her. She spoke very irritably. It must be hard for old people to get along with young people.
And after that… father was gone. My mother and I couldn’t go to the funeral. We lived poor, I was finishing school, we didn’t have much money and it was a long flight. So we sent a small amount to the widow and didn’t go.
Some time passes and I call my grandmother again. And they did not say anything bad about the children. I even began to be happy for her, but I did not pry into her soul. Probably grew up and became quieter. Or grandmother put up with it. Three months later it turned out that she had a fight with her new daughter-in-law and drove her and her grandchildren away. Well it’s not too terrible, it happens, only how to live in a foreign country without work, without money, without a husband and the help of relatives. Besides, she had problems with her health. As a result, we heard rumors that the children had been divided among foster families. Grandma didn’t tell us about it. She was hiding it. We accidentally found out the news from friends.
When my mother and I found out what had happened we decided to take the children from my father’s second marriage. They were of the same blood as me and were not guilty of anything. We went to their grandmother to find out where they were. But she wouldn’t say anything. She said she was keeping the adoption a secret. We came home with nothing. I was really mad at my grandmother at the time. I stopped talking to her.
Some time passed and we learned from mutual friends that grandmother made a contract with someone to look after her, and she signed the house over to her. I understand she is no longer going to continue to communicate with us. She gave up on her family. So the years went by…
The other day I got a call from the woman who had been checking on my grandmother. She said that she had fallen ill and could no longer move. They feed her from a spoon with whipped mashed potatoes. She started asking for help with money, because I was her granddaughter.
I want to be understood correctly. I got a job recently. I was able to save up money to go to university. Started collecting for her own place. I sent her money at the time, but I ended up having to save on groceries. I can’t help out regularly. Can you blame me?”
