My last post was about care givers of old folks. Now I'll relate the life of my friend's mother-in-law. This old lady has three children. Her eldest is a married daughter who resides in New Zealand. The second is a son who works in Qatar. The last is my friend's husband who works four hours from his home town.
The old lady lived with her youngest son's family before she had to move into an old folks' home because of her medical condition requiring 24 hour care. Before her health failed, she was a grand madam knew-it-all who insulted her daughter-in-law's cooking skills. She, in her arrogance, made a habit of telling off each of her four grand children in turn according to her moods. Nothing pleased her, she let her own lifelong frustration soured her temperament. She shouted at all and sundry without counting any possible consequences. In front of favourite, the youngest son, she was really sweet and circumspect. A few months before she moved into the old folks' home, every one of her grand children as well as her daughter-in-law stayed out of the house as much as possible.
Now that she has lost her mobility, she could not ill treat the home's staff without suffering neglect. Still she talked her wealthy daughter into paying special rate so that she could live in a two bedded room as a single inmate. Her daughter visits her once or twice a year. The son from Qatar hardly turns up. Her beloved son, my friend's husband, tries to visit her three times a year - Chinese New Year, her birthday in June and Moon Cake Festival. As the four grand children moved to different parts the country for work and tertiary education, nobody lives in the home town anymore. My friend moved to be with her husband. The proud and obnoxious old lady is reaping what she sowed, being alone day after day waiting for her beloved to visit her. It is really sad but she could not undo the past actions.
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