My dad, George Thompson, tells me at the age of 72 that hes going to marry his old schoolmate. When he drops that bombshell, Im stunned. Hes already seventytwo, after all!
George has been single for twenty years since my mother, Margaret, passed away. Thirty years ago I left home in Manchester, set up my own family, and now I visit him at his Yorkshire farm with my wife Sarah and our two kids every Christmas and during the summer. Im lucky that my dad is a tough cookie and never complains about his health; he handles everything himself, even though Sarah and I still pitch in when the garden needs tidying or the wood needs chopping for winter.
Just the other day, he calls me and says its time to bring a lady home. It turns out the woman is Elsie Wright, a classmate from his youth. They were close friends back then, drifted to different towns after school, and now, in old age, have decided to stitch their lives back together. It feels like a joke to me.
When I hear about Georges upcoming wedding, I tell him straight away that he cant expect us or the grandchildren to attend the ceremony. That doesnt stop him, though; he and Elsie tied the knot a few months ago and held a modest celebration.
What could be missing from his life at this age that makes him chase a new start?
The fact is, Georges farmhouse is huge, he owns acres of land, and his future wife has several grownup children and grandchildren who would love to claim a piece of the estate. I cant help wondering whether this marriage is more about profit than romance.
Sarah and I live in a threebedroom terraced house in Leeds, a home weve been paying off with a mortgage for half our lives. We have two children, and I always thought wed leave that house to our elders while the younger generation would inherit our dads farm. Now were not sure who gets what.
We havent visited George in six months, and honestly we dont feel like going, now that hes building a new life. Relatives keep calling, saying we should be happy that Dad has found love at his age. I would be happy for him, except for the nagging thought that Elsie might be after his money, and that well have to battle her family over the property where Ive spent half my life.
I dont know what to do. I cant keep ignoring my father, but I dont have the strength to pretend everythings fine. What advice can you give me on getting out of this bind?
