When the grandmother learned that her grandson intended to evict her from the flat, she sold it without a second thought.
Why take out a loan when you could simply wait for the grandmother to pass away and inherit her apartment? That was the logic of my husbands cousin, Rui. He was married to Joana, they had three children, and the whole family lived in anticipation of the inheritance. They shunned dealing with credit, preferring to daydream about the day their grandmothers flat would be theirs. At present they cramped in Joanas mothers modest twobedroom apartment in seaside Cascais, a situation that clearly drained them. Rui and Joana increasingly whispered about solving the grandmothers situation.
But the grandmother, Dona Rosária, was a true gem. At seventyfive she brimmed with vitality, greeted each day with joy and never complained about her health. Her house in central Cascais was always full of friends. She mastered the smartphone, attended exhibitions, went to the theatre, and even indulged in innocent flirtations at seniordance nights. She seemed to radiate light, living as a lesson in savoring every moment. For Rui and Joana, however, this was not a source of prideit was pure irritation. They were tired of waiting.
Their patience finally ran out. They decided that Dona Rosária should transfer the apartment into Ruis name and move into a nursing home, openly claiming it would be better for grandma. Rosária, however, refused resolutely, sparking a fullblown confrontation. Rui lost his temper, shouting that she was selfish and should think of the grandchildren. Joana added fuel, hinting that the grandmother had already lived long enough.
When Tiago and I heard the news we were stunned. Rosária had always dreamed of traveling to Indiato see the Taj Mahal, smell the spices, get lost in the streets of Goa. We suggested she live with us, rent out the flat and save the proceeds for the trip. She agreed, and soon her spacious threebedroom in the city centre began generating rental income. When Rui and Joana caught wind of this, they staged a massive scandal. They claimed the apartment belonged to them by right and demanded that their grandmother let them move in, even accusing Tiago of manipulating Rosária for his own benefit. Rui went as far as demanding the rent money, calling it his legitimate share. We refused, and that was final.
Joana started turning up at our house almost dailysometimes alone, sometimes with the kidsalways bearing useless gifts. She pretended to ask after Rosárias wellbeing, but we saw the true motive: she and Rui were still waiting for the grandmother to go and leave them the inheritance. Their greed and shamelessness were astonishing.
Meanwhile, Rosária saved enough and set off for India. She returned glowing, with a suitcase full of stories and photos. We suggested she not stop there: sell the flat, keep traveling, and live with us in her old age, enjoying peace and comfort. After some thought she took the risk. The apartment sold at a good price, and with the proceeds she bought a cozy studio on the outskirts of Cascais, investing the remainder in new adventures.
Rosária journeyed through Spain, Austria and Switzerland. In Switzerland, while strolling along Lake Geneva, she met a Frenchman named Pierre. Their romance felt straight out of a filmat seventyfive she married him! Tiago, the rest of us flew to France for the wedding, and it was wonderful to see her radiant in a white dress, surrounded by flowers and smiles. Rosária deserved that happiness. She had worked all her life, raised children, helped grandchildren, and now finally lived for herself.
When Rui learned the studio had been sold, he erupted. He demanded that Rosária hand it over, saying she already had enough. How he imagined fitting five people into that space was a mystery. But we no longer cared. We were happy that Dona Rosária had found her place in the sun. As for Rui and Joana their tale serves as a reminder that when money is at stake, even the closest relatives can reveal their true colors.
