Emily visited her mother every other day, leaving food and water by the bedside before slipping out.
Ive got a neighbour named Emily. Her mum had lived alone for years. Once upon a time, shed been a brilliant cookwhipping up Sunday roasts and Victoria sponges for the whole family, always sharing extras with the neighbours.
But Emily was embarrassed by her mothera simple country woman whod spent her life working the land. After her husband passed, Emilys mum was left on her own. Emily rarely dropped by, and over time, her mother started forgetting thingsleaving the kettle boiling, misplacing her glasses, even babbling nonsense now and then.
One day, Emily swung by and was hit by the acrid stench of burnt toast. Turns out, her mum had forgotten the oven was on.
“What on earth are you playing at? Cant even heat up beans without nearly torching the place?” Emily snapped.
“Love, Im so sorry! Its the first time its happened!” her mum pleaded.
Her health only worsened. Walking became a struggle, even just around the house. One evening, she rang Emily, voice shaky:
“Darling, I dont feel rightmy blood pressures through the roof! Can you come?”
“Since when am I a GP? Ring 999!” Emily huffed before hanging up.
Soon, her mum stopped leaving the house altogether, forcing Emily to visit weekly. Shed bring the cheapest groceries, give the place a half-hearted tidy, and drag the bins outgrumbling the entire time.
“How dyou manage to make such a pigsty living alone? Have you no shame?”
With that, shed slam the door behind her. Eventually, her mum couldnt even get out of bed. Emily came by every other day, dropping off meals and water without a word. Then, one day, she arrived to find her mother had passed.
After the funeral, Emily visited the grave regularly, sighing dramatically:
“Oh, how I miss my dear, darling mum! She was the kindest, most wonderful woman in the world!”
Funny, that. Funny how she only remembered the good bitsconveniently forgetting how shed neglected her, how shed refused to help, how she couldnt be bothered to care. Selective memory, isnt it?
