“I raised five of you, and you can’t even feed one father”
A dramatic tale from the heart of rural Yorkshire
“Geoff, get up, it’s late—time for work!” Wendy nudged her husband, clutching a burnt frying pan in one hand and a flicker of hope in the other that he was only joking.
“I’m not going. Leave me be, Wen. That’s it. I’m done with the factory,” Geoff muttered, eyes still shut, turning toward the wall.
Wendy chuckled at first—thought he was still groggy after their daughter Emily’s wedding celebrations.
“Oh, come off it, don’t be daft! The wedding’s over, rest’s done—back to the grind. There’s work piled high!”
“I mean it. Finished. Resigned. Handed in my notice before the holiday. Yesterday was my last shift.”
“Geoff, have you lost your mind?! Where d’you think you’ll find another job like that? Two years till pension! Just hang on!” Wendy paled, nearly dropping the pan.
“Can’t do it anymore. No strength left. I’m done. We raised five kids. Three boys, two girls. Got ’em educated, settled. Gave ’em a start. And me? Now I just want a rest. My job’s done.”
“You haven’t a scrap of sense if you plan to saddle the kids with this,” Wendy sighed bitterly. “Who’ll feed you? My pension’s pennies. So you reckon they’ll keep you?”
“Course. They’re mine, aren’t they? Five of ’em! Surely they won’t let their old man starve?”
“Have you gone barmy, you old sod?!” Wendy’s temper flared. “They’ve got their own troubles to mind. Mortgages, grandkids in school. And you—leech!” She grabbed his sleeve and yanked.
He shoved her off—hard—sending her stumbling into the wardrobe.
“Back off. I’ve decided. That’s final.”
Tears pricked Wendy’s eyes. She knew his word was final once spoken. Snatching her scarf, she bolted next door to Auntie Maud, the wise old soul even the bobbies turned to for advice.
“Oh, Auntie Maud, disaster! Geoff’s gone mad! Quit his job, says he’s done working. What do I do? How d’you knock sense into him?”
“Give over with the fuss, love. Man’s knackered. Five kids he raised—that’s no walk in the park, is it? Probably run himself ragged. Let the man rest. Show him a bit of kindness.”
“Kindness my foot! I’ll show him kindness when the kids are here—we’ll give him a proper ‘holiday’!” Wendy spat, eyes sharp with spite.
A week later, the house was packed. Wendy had rung them all, laid out a spread fit for a king. Laughter and hugs filled the air, grandkids tearing about the garden. But once the plates were cleared, silence settled like fog.
“Dad,” the eldest, James, broke it first, “is it true? You’ve quit?”
“Aye, son. Decided enough’s enough. No strength left.”
“Come on, Dad,” cut in Daniel, the middle one. “Two years to go. Tough it out. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“My mind’s set. Forty-odd years on the job. Pension’ll scrape by. And you lot—five of you. You’ll keep your old man fed, I’m sure.”
Behind him, Wendy smirked. The children squirmed. James cleared his throat.
“Well… we’ve got the car on finance. It’s tight as it is.”
“And our Lily’s at music school, tutors every week. Money vanishes, y’know,” added Daniel’s wife, while he kept mum.
“Started the extension,” sighed Thomas, the youngest. “Need it done by winter before we sell. Can’t take on more.”
The girls chimed in—one with furniture on credit, the other whose husband was offshore for months, money scarce. Wendy rose like a sergeant major.
“There you go, Geoff. See? They’ve their own troubles. And you—just another burden. Shame on you, eh? Wanting handouts, not help. Tomorrow—out you go, job-hunting. No work slip, no entry. Understood?”
Geoff stood. Silent. Looked at them all.
“I raised five of you… and you can’t even feed one father,” he said thickly before walking out.
Next morning, he went job-hunting. Hired. Half the wage, but it was work. Wendy crowed—”fixed him.” Two days later, he didn’t come home.
A knock came late that night. The hospital rang—Geoff was gone. Massive heart attack. Collapsed at work. Died in the ambulance.
Now Wendy lives alone. Pension’s a pittance. The kids visit rarely—mostly the girls. The lads ring on bank holidays.
And in her head, his last words echo:
*”I raised five of you… and you can’t even feed one father.”*
