A Thankless Son Is Worse Than a Stranger (A Simple Tale)

Maggie Reed, an eightyfouryearold granny, was perched on the bench at the bus stop just outside her little terraced house in Bramley, staring at the world and wondering where she should head next. Beside her lay a faded canvas tote and a paper bag that held almost everything she owned.

Got rid of Ruth, didnt you? No fear at all, she shouted Off you go, old woman, get out of here, dont bother our lives any more!

Only three years ago the whole lot of them were still living together in a threebedroom council flat: Maggie, her daughter Eleanor, her soninlaw Thomas with his wife Natalie, and their lad, Arthur, Maggies greatgrandson.

Everything started to crumble when Thomas got a new accounts clerk at work a girl called Ruth whod rolled in from the city to their quiet village for whoknowswhat reason. They gave her a room in the local hostel and a job, and that was supposed to be the end of it. But Ruth wasnt happy just to sit around. She began eyeing the men and set her sights on Thomas. Married? As the saying goes, A wife isnt a fence.

One April evening Thomas came home from work, packed his things, and was the only one anyone saw. Before he left he muttered:

I didnt really understand what real life and love were until I was fortyfive.

Natalie kept quiet. She waited until Arthur had his school exams, then said:

Well move to the town, Arthur needs to apply to university, and well live in my parents old cottage. Its been boarded up for three years, but well fix it up. If we cant do it ourselves, my brother will help. Ill find a quick job at the school.

She spent two days packing, her brother drove the boxes out in a little van, and they were off. Arthur gave his greatgrandma a tight hug before they left:

Dont worry, Gran, Ill come to see you.

He turned up twice while Eleanor was still alive. But after Eleanor passed away, Thomas and Ruth moved into the flat, and Arthur never showed up again.

Life grew bleak for Maggie. Ruth started laying down her own rules. At first she was a bit shy, inviting Maggie to the kitchen and feeding her the same meals she cooked for herself and Thomas. Then she ordered her to stay in her room:

Your crumbs are everywhere in the kitchen. Its easier for me to clean your room once a week than to mop the floors here three times a day.

From then on Ruth boiled porridge for her oatmeal, barley or wheat and Maggie would sip empty tea with it at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

A few days later Ruth announced that her son would be arriving in a week. She and Thomas were arguing where to place him after a stint in a young offenders centre no one would give him a proper job.

Thomas left for work in the morning, and Ruth told Maggie:

Heres the address of the care home. Go there and thank me for not throwing you straight onto the street.

She thrust a slip of paper with the address into Maggies hand and slammed the flats door shut.

Maggie shuffled to the bus stop, but beyond that she was lost her eyesight was poor, she couldnt make out the numbers. A young bloke was standing nearby, so she called out:

Young man, could you read the address for me? Which bus goes there?

He looked at her and asked:

Where are you off to, Mrs. Maggie? Arthurs just gotten a call, hes looking for you. Let me ring him.

Within five minutes Arthur was sprinting over. It turned out Natalies former neighbour had phoned the night before and said Ruth was trying to get Maggie into a residential home. The neighbour had once worked as a nurse there, so Ruth had asked for the address.

Arthurs mother told him to hurry back to the village and bring his greatgrandma over.

Arthur scooped up Maggies bag and said:

Ill whisk you, Gran, to the town in a taxi. Mums already got a room ready, and the gardens full of apple blossoms right now beautiful!

When Ruth and Thomas heard that Arthur was taking Maggie to the town they were thrilled. Their joy was shortlived, though. When they started sorting out the paperwork it emerged that Maggie had been the legal owner of the flat from day one, and her late husband still had a lifelong right to live there. So Ruth and Thomas had to shuffle back to the hostel.

Maggie sold the flat and handed the proceeds to her greatgrandson so he could buy a place of his own in the city. Property prices in the county town were steep, so Arthur could only afford a onebedroom flat, but it was brandnew and spacious. Hes thinking of getting married now finally a roof over his head for a young family.