Off The Record
Grandma Thought Her Family Was Taking Her To A Nursing Home—What Happened Next Made Her Scream In Terror
After her husband passed away, Evelyn raised her children alone, giving up everything for them. However, a terrible family secret surfaced when they led her to a cemetery rather than a shelter, destroying the bond she believed to be unshakable and exposing a treachery she never anticipated.
With the old drapes softly shadowed by the afternoon light, Evelyn sat calmly in her tiny living room. She gazed at the family portraits that lined the walls, each one serving as a reminder of the life she had created and included images of holidays, birthdays, and graduations.
Thinking of her kids, Helen and Alex, made her heart hurt. They appeared to have forgotten everything she had done for them, even though they were now adults with their own families.
After her husband passed away, Evelyn had raised her kids by herself. She had put in a lot of overtime, often working two jobs to ensure they had all they needed. On certain occasions, she skipped meals so they could eat. She never voiced any complaints. She had strength. But now that she was 78, her strength didn’t seem to matter.
Evelyn heard Alex’s voice from the adjacent room. She could make out the words because it was low but clear enough.
Alex said calmly, “I checked the shelters,” as if he were talking about something as basic as the weather. “All of the state ones are occupied. Private residences are, well, pricey.”
The breath caught in Evelyn’s throat. Shelters? In an attempt to hear more, she leaned closer. Helen’s voice came next, as piercing as ever.
“Private?” Helen laughed. “Are you aware of their price? I have mortgages to cover. Are you planning to pay for it?”
Evelyn’s hands gripped her chair’s arms more tightly. They were discussing her. Their mother had changed. She was a burden, an issue that needed to be resolved. She was merely a barrier in their life, not a part of the discussion.
“I mean, what are we supposed to do?” Helen went on. “Neither you nor I can afford to care for her. Each of us has a family of our own.”
Evelyn’s heart grew heavy with sorrow, and her chest constricted. They hadn’t asked her how she felt or discussed their plans with her. She blinked the tears from her eyes. She told herself that she had always been strong. Now I’ll be strong too.
Without saying anything to her, Alex and Helen left the house after the talk was over. She didn’t inquire about their destination. She had no desire to find out.
Evelyn laid in bed that night, gazing up at the ceiling. Sleep refused to come. Her mind kept returning to what they had said. A load. Too costly. She felt like nothing after giving them everything.
Evelyn heard footsteps coming toward her room the following morning. Alex moved out of her line of sight. He had a tense expression, as if he were suppressing something disagreeable.
“Mom,” he uttered softly. “It’s time to pack up.”
“Pack up?” Evelyn’s tone faltered. “To the shelter?”
Alex’s gaze strayed to the ground. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “It’s time.”
Evelyn nodded, reaching for her old luggage with trembling hands. She folded her few garments and sandwiched old pictures between the fabric as she packed slowly. Her life, her memories.
As Evelyn left with her suitcase in hand, Helen arrived in the automobile. As she climbed into the rear seat, nobody said. It was a long, quiet drive. Evelyn gazed out the window, taking in the passing scenery. She didn’t cry. It was the last of the tears.
The automobile finally stopped after what felt like hours. Evelyn snapped out of her light-induced slumber with a blink. Her heart pounded as she peered out the window.
No shelter was where they were. A cemetery was in front of them.
As she got out of the car, her legs felt wobbly. She blurted out, “Family, I’m STILL ALIVE!” with wide eyes.
Helen strode forward, her expression icy and aloof. Sharply, “Come on, Mom,” she said. “We’re here for a reason.”
As Helen guided Evelyn farther into the cemetery, her legs began to weaken. The freezing silence between her and her kids was far worse than the cold air that pricked her thin coat. Every step she took was weighed down by anxiety and confusion, and she could hear the crunch of gravel beneath her shoes.
Helen abruptly halted and gestured toward a tiny gravestone. “There,” she uttered icily, her voice hardly more than a murmur. Evelyn’s gaze stopped as it followed her daughter’s hand. Her throat tightened each breath.
The antique gravestone had been worn by years of rain and wind. Evelyn could still make out the faint name etched on the stone: Emily, cherished daughter. A birth and death date—the same day as today—were inscribed beneath the name.
The baby’s burial was that of her daughter, whom she had lost so long ago. Helen had never heard of this daughter.
Helen’s piercing, enraged voice broke the stillness. With angry eyes, she yelled, “How could you never tell me?” “You kept my twin hidden from me?” “All these years?” Helen’s face contorted in anger as her hands clinched into fists at her sides.
With the weight of her secret bearing down on her, Evelyn’s heart thumped in her chest. She stumbled, “I — I didn’t want to hurt you,” her voice trembling. “You were a newborn. I didn’t believe—”
“You didn’t think?” Helen’s voice rose to interrupt. “You didn’t believe I was entitled to know? You’ve kept stuff from us throughout my life. It makes sense why Alex and I don’t want to look after you. You have been deceiving us for years.”
Evelyn’s legs gave way as she strained for balance, her fingers grazing the uneven gravestone.
In an attempt to save her kids the anguish of losing a sibling, she had kept the truth from them for so long. Now, though, it seemed like that choice had simply made them more distant.
Helen crossed her arms and took a step back. “I can’t trust you for precisely this reason. You’ve been hiding things from us your entire life. And you want us to look after you now? Given that you have lied about something so significant, why would we want to?”
Evelyn parted her lips, but the words refused to come. Her heart was heavy with regret, and her chest was constricted. She had believed she was keeping them safe. She had lost them instead.
Helen responded, “Get back in the car,” in a chilly tone. “We’re done here.”
There was a lot of anxiety in the car as they traveled in quiet. Evelyn’s mind were racing with grief and remorse as she gazed out the window. As though the love she had with her children had perished with her newborn girl all those years ago, she felt little and shattered.
Evelyn looked up to see a run-down structure in front of her when the car finally stopped. The place seemed more like a forgotten relic than a nursing home because the paint was flaking and the windows were damaged. Her heart fell.
Evelyn could smell the musty air inside. The furniture was old and faded, and the walls were drab and damaged. They were greeted by a nurse who didn’t even smile. As if they were eager to get out, Alex and Helen gave up her documents with haste.
Evelyn felt completely alone as she stood there with her bag at her feet. She was given a tiny room with a hard bed and a single window that let in too little light. Her hands trembled as she sat on the bed’s edge. Like she felt inside, her existence had been reduced to this—left in a place that felt forgotten.
She was startled by a knock at the door. The door swung open and she looked up.
“Grandma?” The room was filled with a familiar voice. As her granddaughter Margaret stood in the doorway, panting, Evelyn blinked, her heart pounding.
“Margaret?” Evelyn spoke in a tremulous whisper.
Margaret hurried to her grandmother’s side and exclaimed, “I came as soon as I found out,” “It’s unbelievable that they abandoned you here. Come live with me, please. Although I don’t have much, I would like you to stay with me in my spare room.”
Tears came to Evelyn’s eyes, but they weren’t tears of sorrow. No one had been good to her in such a long time.
“But, Margaret,” she added quietly, “I have to tell you something. I’ve withheld something from you all. You had an aunt. She wasn’t successful, even though she was your mother’s twin. I kept it to myself. I believed I was keeping them safe.”
Margaret took Evelyn’s hands in hers and knelt before her. “Oh, Grandma,” she remarked in a sympathetic tone. “You’ve been bearing that weight by yourself for a very long time. You are no longer required to. I’m present. I want you to accompany me home.”
Evelyn was crying too much to contain herself. Love, forgiveness, and compassion were things she had never anticipated. “Yes,” she said in a whisper. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
When Helen and Alex arrived at Margaret’s residence a few weeks later, they pretended to be worried about their mother. However, Evelyn saw right through their pretense. Their sudden interest was not so much about family as it was about inheritance.
For the first time in years, Evelyn greeted them at the door with a composed and assured look. “Don’t worry,” she added quietly, “as I now live with Margaret, I’m happy.” “I’m right in my place.”
Evelyn felt calm for the first time in a long time. She was no longer isolated or a burden. She was at home.
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