I have had the same next door neighbours for the 44 years that I have lived in this house........both sides are the ages my mum is.....83.
When we moved into our house they were always helpful and looked out for us, so as they have got on in years we have tried to pay back the favours
So it was widow to the left of us and widower to the right.
Over the last three years or so we have shopped for the widow. She became increasingly reluctant to go out of the house....except, himself would drive her to the hairdressers and for her pension.
He would do the shopping for her, and I would provide her with a freshly cooked evening meal four nights a week.
The widow has a son....he lives in Scotland.
She thinks the sun shines out of his nether end, mothers are like that though aren't they.
Before Christmas, this errant son was supposed to be coming to visit his mum.
She looked forward to it with great delight and anticipation.
He didn't come. She was like a deflated balloon.
He said he would make it up to her and take her to a hotel over the Christmas period.
That didn't happen either....he was snowed in!
He managed to dig himself out by New Year so that he and his missus could go on a Carribean Cruise......his mother got no card or phonecall during this time.
She lamented to us that she didn't know what she would do while he was away sunning his hide for those two weeks
There was another spell of bad weather when he got back......that prevented yet another visit.
Disappointment was loaded onto disappointment.
Towards the end of February this old lady seemed to have lost the will to go on.
She took to her bed. Would not get up at any price.
The doctor was called and he said that there wasn't much wrong with her physically......we were to try to chivvy her up.
Despite all our best efforts she stopped eating and drinking and became confused.
Himself rang the son in Scotland...suggesting that he needed to get down to see his mum very soon, as her health was seriously failing
His response
'Canna dae it, I hae mi work to be seeing to'
He said he would be down on the next weekend.....himself said that he may regret that decsion as it might be too late by then.......and told him he would only ever have one mother and put the phone down.
This seriously upset my husband, more so when the doctor was called the following day and said that the old girl would need to go into hospital as her kidneys were failing.
He stayed with her while the ambulance came.
The son arrived the following day....his mother was in a dire state.
I could not abide to speak to the man, but himself went and saw him and handed the widows house key to him.
As himself was leaving the house this chap said that he had been really angry at being called and told what to do....and said that had he been here he would have 'smashed his effing face in'.......my husband said to him 'If you had been here that conversation would not have been necessary' with that he walked out saying that we would no longer be offering any help in the future.
The widow survived(I'm happy to say) but we have seen nothing of her since then......she has been whisked up to Scotland......her home has been broken up and is now up for sale.
It was very sad to see her lifelong possessions being laid out on the pavement in front of her home, her furniture being smashed up....all her Sunday best china being thron into rubbish bags destined for the tip.
I am just pleased that she wassn't around to see it, and I hope that wherever she is, she is happy, and being looked after.
When we moved into our house they were always helpful and looked out for us, so as they have got on in years we have tried to pay back the favours
So it was widow to the left of us and widower to the right.
Over the last three years or so we have shopped for the widow. She became increasingly reluctant to go out of the house....except, himself would drive her to the hairdressers and for her pension.
He would do the shopping for her, and I would provide her with a freshly cooked evening meal four nights a week.
The widow has a son....he lives in Scotland.
She thinks the sun shines out of his nether end, mothers are like that though aren't they.
Before Christmas, this errant son was supposed to be coming to visit his mum.
She looked forward to it with great delight and anticipation.
He didn't come. She was like a deflated balloon.
He said he would make it up to her and take her to a hotel over the Christmas period.
That didn't happen either....he was snowed in!
He managed to dig himself out by New Year so that he and his missus could go on a Carribean Cruise......his mother got no card or phonecall during this time.
She lamented to us that she didn't know what she would do while he was away sunning his hide for those two weeks
There was another spell of bad weather when he got back......that prevented yet another visit.
Disappointment was loaded onto disappointment.
Towards the end of February this old lady seemed to have lost the will to go on.
She took to her bed. Would not get up at any price.
The doctor was called and he said that there wasn't much wrong with her physically......we were to try to chivvy her up.
Despite all our best efforts she stopped eating and drinking and became confused.
Himself rang the son in Scotland...suggesting that he needed to get down to see his mum very soon, as her health was seriously failing
His response
'Canna dae it, I hae mi work to be seeing to'
He said he would be down on the next weekend.....himself said that he may regret that decsion as it might be too late by then.......and told him he would only ever have one mother and put the phone down.
This seriously upset my husband, more so when the doctor was called the following day and said that the old girl would need to go into hospital as her kidneys were failing.
He stayed with her while the ambulance came.
The son arrived the following day....his mother was in a dire state.
I could not abide to speak to the man, but himself went and saw him and handed the widows house key to him.
As himself was leaving the house this chap said that he had been really angry at being called and told what to do....and said that had he been here he would have 'smashed his effing face in'.......my husband said to him 'If you had been here that conversation would not have been necessary' with that he walked out saying that we would no longer be offering any help in the future.
The widow survived(I'm happy to say) but we have seen nothing of her since then......she has been whisked up to Scotland......her home has been broken up and is now up for sale.
It was very sad to see her lifelong possessions being laid out on the pavement in front of her home, her furniture being smashed up....all her Sunday best china being thron into rubbish bags destined for the tip.
I am just pleased that she wassn't around to see it, and I hope that wherever she is, she is happy, and being looked after.
