Off The Record
An Old Man Asks His Son To Take Him To A Nursing Home Instead Of Living With His Family
After his house burned down, Donald was forced to move in with his son, Peter. But because they were out late every night, he began to feel as though he was bothering his child. The elderly man made the decision to enter a nursing home as a result. But his son was in for the most exquisite surprise of all.
“I’m telling you, Donald. Your son will lose his marbles soon and will ask you to move. It’s better to be proactive and find something else on your own before that happens, and your relationship suffers,” Donald heard Mary say once again. She’d been talking about that since they started drinking tea on his son’s porch.
After suffering a heart attack upon returning home from the supermarket two months prior, Donald Harper’s house caught fire. After being brought to the hospital, he was determined to move with his son Peter and his wife once he healed. However, they were a thirtysomething marriage with three small children, and now they had to deal with an elderly man living with them.
For a while, Donald had been concerned that he might become a burden, but they claimed that they liked having him around and that the grandchildren always enjoyed hearing his stories. However, Mary, Peter’s neighbor, and someone about Donald’s age, had been arguing with him.
“You think Peter and his wife are too polite to tell me to move?” Donald wondered, his right hand holding the teacup to his lips and sipping slowly.
Mary did the same while nodding her head vehemently. “Of course! It happened to me, and I was only with my daughter for three weeks. She blamed me for everything that went wrong. She said that I was too loud in the mornings, causing her electric bill to go up. My house was only getting fumigated, but I swear, I wanted to just return home,” she continued. “We haven’t talked to each other in a while because of that.”
Humming, Donald nodded, considering the possibility that Mary might be correct. Given that they had nothing but positive things to say about Donald, it is clear that his son was far more courteous.
Furthermore, he saw that Peter and Sandra, his wife, were returning home later and later every day. Although he was happy to keep an eye on the kids for them, he couldn’t help but wonder if they found his presence in their home to be bothersome. It might be time to move, he decided.
The older man pulled his son aside that night when he got home and suggested moving him to a nursing home, but Peter said they should revisit that conversation later. “Dad, now is not the time for that. We’ll talk about it later.”
After a few months, Donald began to worry. Every time they arrived home, Peter and his wife appeared worn out, despite their constant smiles for him. It was time to try again; he had not brought up the matter of the nursing home. It wouldn’t be too bad; he had enough savings to cover the cost of a respectable assisted-living facility.
He had even searched for locations online, and he found one a short distance from Peter’s house in their community in Chesapeake, Virginia. He was prepared to present the material to Peter after printing it out.
“Ok, Dad. Let’s go and visit it tomorrow,” Peter agreed that night, and Donald was relieved. Mary had been harping again about his extended stay, and Donald was worried that it would ruin his bond with his son and the family.
So the following morning, Donald got into the passenger seat of Peter’s car, and they started driving towards the nursing home he suggested. For some reason, Peter took several turns, and Donald frowned. “Are you sure this is the right way? I feel like you’re going to circle back to your house,” the older man told his son.
“Oh, don’t worry, Dad. We have to pick up something first from 7Eleven,” Peter replied, his hands moving the wheel and his eyes focused on the road.
Donald gave a nod, giving it no mind. He took up the written documentation and recited a few of the advantages mentioned on the website of the assisted living facility.
He concentrated so hard on reading that he didn’t notice when Peter stopped the car. “Oh, get me a bag of chips, please,” Donald said absentmindedly.
“We’re not at the 7Eleven, Dad. Look up,” Peter chimed in. Donald raised his head and looked at his son, who gestured towards the passenger’s window. The older man turned and realized they were on his old street, right in front of his house.
He’d last seen that location as little more than ashes and agony. Peter was reared in the home he and his spouse had purchased. His elder heart couldn’t take the shock of seeing it gone following a catastrophic short-circuit in the kitchen.
But the image he saw now was nothing like what he remembered. The house was back in shape. It was completely remodeled. Donald raised his eyebrows at his son. “No, you didn’t,” he whispered.
“Of course I did. Well, we did. Sandra worked to find the best budgets out there,” Peter added with a huge smile on his face.
“That’s too much money, Peter. Let me pay you back,” Donald said as tears started gathering in his eyes.
“Absolutely not. Did you think I would let my father live in a nursing home? I don’t know where you got that crazy idea. Besides, you and Mom raised me in that house. We absolutely can’t lose it, even if I have one of my own just a few blocks away. I love this home, and this is more than you deserve for everything you did for me while I was growing up,” Peter gushed as his eyes watered too.
Donald broke down in tears, and his son drew him in for a firm embrace. They toured the newly furnished, albeit more contemporary, home that Peter and Sandra had also equipped.
Donald was shocked that his son had done this and realized why their family was usually running late for dinner. He also understood that Mary, their nosy neighbor, wasn’t the right person to listen to. Obviously, she was mistaken.
Now Trending:
- Disturbing Steven Tyler Health Update At 75 Confirms The Rumors – And It’s What We Feared
- Close Friend Reveals Health Update About Shannen Doherty In Terminal Cancer Battle
- Fans Worried Céline Dion Is Not ‘Alive’ After Her Last Post – Her Sister Gives Sad Updates
Please SHARE this article with Family and Friends!
