“Dont call here again! Why waste time on something you dont need? Long ago, I realised neither you nor your children care whether your grandmother is alive and well!”
Finishing my studies coincided with two great eventsmy wedding and my first proper job. I began working as a manager at a reputable firm. After a few years, I took maternity leave and gave birth to a beautiful daughterAmelia. She grew into a bright young woman, so my husband and I spared no expense in sending her to a prestigious university. Once she graduated, my husband secured her a fine position.
A year later, she introduced us to her fiancé, and soon after, they married and had twins.
My granddaughters were eight when their grandfathermy husbandpassed. It was a terrible loss for us all. Amelia understood how hard it was for me, so she rang every evening after work to share her day, and Id tell her about mine.
But then, she grew busier. When I called, shed make excuses why she couldnt talk. Over time, her calls dwindled to once every few days, and even those felt obligatoryshed be tidying up or rushing out. One day, I snapped when she rang:
“If youve no time for your own mother, dont bother calling. Why ring me if youre too busy to listen?”
She brushed it off, and I apologised for my sharp words. After that, she rang a little more oftenuntil the calls slipped back to weekly.
Her neglect stung. I lost my appetite, even my sleep.
The final straw came when she didnt call for a week and ignored my attempts. So when she finally did, I shouted:
“Dont call again! Why pretend to care? Ive known for years neither you nor my granddaughters care if I live or die. You only want my cooking and birthday parcelsthats all!”
Amelia flared up, calling me selfish, and swore shed never ring again. Her words hit like a blowmy heart pounded, everything went black, and I woke in hospital.
The nurse listened to my tale, but at the end, she shook her head and said:
“You elders forget we young folk are stretched thinwork, children, chores, ambitions. Fitting in a proper chat is near impossible. So treasure even a hurried call on the way to the shops. My advice? Find a passion to fill your days. Then you wont count the hours between calls.”
And she was right. When youre busy with what you love, you stop wondering if anyone else does.
