Maggie Thompson was sitting on a bench in the garden of the Willow Grove Care Home, wiping away tears. It was her 80th birthday, and not a single son or daughter had turned up to wish her well. Her nextdoor neighbour in the ward, Eleanor Smith, did swing by with a card and a little something wrapped in tissue. And Lucy, the care assistant, even handed her a crisp apple as a birthday treat. The place itself was decent, but the staff all seemed pretty indifferent.
Everyone knew that the home was mainly for older folks whose families found looking after them a hassle. Maggies own son, James, had brought her here, saying she needed to rest and get a bit of treatment, but the real reason was that she was a thorn in his daughterinlaws side. The flat was technically Maggies, but James had coaxed her into signing a deed that would transfer it to him. He promised she could stay as she always had, yet as soon as the paperwork was done the whole family moved in and the tensions with the daughterinlaw kicked off.
She was constantly complaining, never cleaning up after herself in the bathroom, leaving messes and all that. At first James tried to defend her, then he gave up and started shouting himself. Maggie started noticing that theyd always be whispering behind closed doors, but as soon as she walked into the room everything fell silent.
One morning James tried to chat about how she should be resting and getting better. Maggie looked him straight in the eyes and asked, Youre sending me off to a care home, arent you, love? He blushed, fumbled for words and muttered, Its not a home, Mum, its just a rehab centre. Youll be back in a month, I promise. He whisked her away, signed the paperwork in a rush and drove off, promising to be back soon. He only ever turned up once after that with two apples and two oranges, asked how she was doing, then vanished again.
So shes been here for two years now.
When a month went by and James still hadnt visited, she tried the landline at the old address. A stranger answered; it turned out James had sold the flat and no one knew where he was. Maggie spent a couple of nights sobbing, knowing there was no way shed ever be taken back home. The worst part was that shed once pushed her own daughter aside for the sake of Jamess happiness.
Maggie grew up in a tiny village in the Midlands. Thats where she met Peter, her schoolfellow, and they married. They lived in a modest farmhouse, never rich but never hungry. One day a city neighbour dropped by, bragging about how life in town was brilliant good wages, council housing handed out on the spot. Peter got the bug, sold everything, and they moved to the city. The council did give them a flat straight away, they bought a secondhand sofa and a battered Mini. It was that Mini that later got into an accident.
Two days after the crash, Peter died in the hospital. After the funeral Maggie was left alone with two kids. To keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table she spent evenings washing communal stairwells. She hoped the children would grow up and help out, but that never materialised. James fell into trouble, and Maggie had to borrow money to keep him out of jail, paying it back over the next couple of years. Her daughter Emily eventually married, had a child, and for the first year things were fine. Then James started getting sick a lot, and Emily had to quit her job to look after him, shuttling him between doctors. They finally discovered a rare condition that only one specialist centre treated, and the waiting list was massive.
While Emily was driving him to appointments, her husband left her, but at least he left the flat behind. In a hospital ward she met a widower, Tom, whose own daughter suffered the same illness. They hit it off and started living together. Five years later Tom fell ill and needed money for surgery. Maggie had a little savings and wanted to give it to James as a downpayment on a new flat.
When Emily asked for that money, Maggie hesitated she felt it would be selfish to give it to a stranger when her own son needed it more. She said no, and Emily was hurt. She told Maggie she didnt consider her a mother any more and swore she wouldnt be called on when things got tough. They havent spoken in twenty years.
Emily eventually recovered, and she and her family moved to a seaside town. If she could turn back time, Maggie says shed have done things differently, but the past cant be rewound.
One afternoon Maggie slowly rose from the bench and shuffled toward the main building. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice: Mum! Her heart leapt. She turned and saw Emily, struggling to stay upright, about to tumble. Emily caught her just in time.
Mum, I finally found you, Emily whispered. Brother wouldnt give me the address, but I threatened him in court, saying the flat sale was illegal. He went quiet after that
They slipped into the lounge and sank onto the sofa.
I’m sorry, Mum, for not keeping in touch, Emily said, tears in her eyes. I was angry, then I kept putting it off, feeling ashamed. Just last week you appeared in my dream, walking through a forest, crying.
Maggie felt a heaviness lift. She told her husband about it, and he urged her to go and make peace. She came back, only to find strangers who knew nothing about the family.
Ive been hunting for my brothers address for ages, finally found it, and now Im here. Pack your things, well go together. Theres this huge house by the sea. My husband told me, if Mums not well, I should bring her over.
Maggie clung to Emily, and a wave of relief washed over her. Those were tears of joy, not sorrow.
May the memory of your father and mother keep your days long on the earth that the Lord, your God, has given you.
