Sunday, June 13, 2010

Choose

Life hadn’t been easy for her. When she and her late husband started their life, they didn’t have much of a saving. But he was very meager in spending and a very shrewd investor. Soon they climbed up into a very comfortable life.

The father was very stern and believed in the age old policy of beating the sons through the right way. He managed to make a super specialist doctor out of the eldest son and a rebel out of the second.

He was bed ridden for the last 10 years of his life. So she had to take diligent care of him. She was literally locked out from the rest of the world for a decade. So when he died after a prolonged time of helplessness, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. At last she would be free to live her life.

But for her the troubles were just beginning. She moved to the eldest son. He was married to a beautiful doctor. They had their own set of busy social life. They minted enough money to last many life times. The mother couldn’t adjust to the way they brought up their children or the way they threw about their money. Fights ensued and the son took sides with his wife. She walked out.

She then moved to Malaysia were the second one stayed. He had married to Buddhist Singaporean. She being an orthodox Christian, it was a humiliation as the world would blame her for not imparting enough values to her children. But still she gave him her blessings. But life in Singapore became a nightmare for her. She wasn’t used to an existence in an apartment. She couldn’t move about freely due to linguistic restrictions.

She moved back to her home which she built with her husband. She lives a lonely existence today fighting old age and the resulting illnesses.

Life is made out of choices and we will never escape from it but through suicide. But I pray I wouldn’t have to choose between my parents and love/wife/kids.

Afterword: This post has been inspired indirectly by MM.

9 comments:

BK Chowla, said...

I wish that no one goes through such times. But, we must not expect too much from the present gen. They are in a competitive world where the couple doesn't find time for themselves.

Rachna said...

I think that as much as we expect kids to look after parents, we must expect the parents to show some adaptability too. Generally, any bad situations are due to rigidity of both parties. To paint either the kids or the parents black would be unfair. I am sure that if you got the story from the children's perspective, you would be surprised!

Nonetheless, my sympathies for the lady. I think it is better to be peaceful. let her build a group of like-minded people for herself.

Chapters From My Life said...

I hope and pray too that you will not have to make a choice.. believe me, it is not easy to choose between any kind of relation..

Anonymous said...

This lady has had some difficult choices to make in her life - it is not easy nursing someone, you do become isolated and then lonely. Her sons have grown away from her, as is often the case but I think she has made a brave decision to go back to being on her own - I hope the story doesn't end to sadly

Jon said...

Yea...choices are difficult and all has its own consequences...good or bad

Karan Agrawal said...

Thats a pathetic state for the lady left all alone with some beautiful memories of young days to cherish. There is hardly anything anybody could do for her except to let her live with some dignity. We would easily find such cases in real life!

Jon said...

Yea,
We are helpless...and the reason for the helplessness is we destroyed a system that existed once...

Unknown said...

It is hard to be a part of what we are not..The lady might have gone through a lot of agony after the death..I feel it..

Jon said...

Yes, Netha she might be in grief...

But we have grown our children in such a way tht they no longer bother for another's feelings