Michael Smith brought a stool out onto the balcony, sat down, and smoked several cigarettes in a row. His hands were shaking from the insult, and tears welled up in the old man’s eyes. Could this really be happening to him? He had lived his whole life for his children, loved them, and never denied them anything. And now, it turned out, no one needed him. They wanted to get rid of him.
– Dad, stop smoking! And you do not have to be so stressed! Sarah, his eldest daughter, said sternly. – You need to understand us, too. The children will be starting school soon, and they are cramped with us in one small room. If you do not pity me, at least think of your grandchildren.
– No, Sarah, I will live out my days in my own apartment. Absolutely no nursing home! And if you find it too crowded with me here, move in with your mother-in-law. Mrs. Jackson’s apartment is big, a three-bedroom. There is enough space for everyone.
– Absolutely not! I will never get along with her, – the daughter shouted angrily, and she slammed the balcony door so hard that the windows rattled.
Michael sighed sorrowfully and reached for another cigarette. He remembered his late wife, Laura, with whom he had happily lived for many years. Now he was completely alone, unwanted, forgotten, and helpless. Only Rusty understood him. The old dog sitting beside him seemed to read his thoughts. He looked at his owner with sympathy and whined plaintively.
Why had his beloved daughter Sarah become so cruel? Had he and his wife not tried to give her the best of everything? She grew up comfortably and never went without anything she wanted. And now, this was his reward. The poor man had never felt so miserable in his soul. But it turned out that this was not the limit.
A minute later, his seven-year-old grandson, Andrew, peeked onto the balcony and asked with indignation:
– Grandpa, why do you not love us?
– What do you mean I do not love you, Andrew? Who told you that?
– Mum told me! If you loved my brother and me, you would give us your room. But you are too stingy! That means you are a miser! – the boy shouted maliciously and quickly scurried off the balcony.
There it was! It turned out that Sarah had already turned the grandchildren against their grandfather. Well, perhaps there was no other way out. The offended old man abruptly stood up, walked over to Sarah, and said coldly:
– Fine. I will leave. I do not want to bother you anymore.
Sarah acted as if she did not notice his pain or see the tears in her father’s eyes. Hearing those words, the woman smiled and cheerfully chirped:
– Oh, Daddy, thank you. You are such a good man.
Returning to his room, the old man sadly looked around. That was it! His home no longer belonged to him. The grandfather had become a stranger in his own house. “What can I do? I will manage somehow. The important thing is that my Rusty is not mistreated.” Thinking of the dog, the old man went back to his daughter and quietly asked:
– Sarah, promise me you will not throw Rusty out.
– Why, Daddy! I will feed him three times a day. And I will take him for walks. So do not worry, – the daughter replied in a reassuring tone, and the old man felt a little calmer.
The nursing home smelled of bedbugs and mold. Old, faded curtains hung on the windows. The atmosphere was anything but homey—it was oppressive and dreary, like a hospital. The food in the cafeteria was terrible. In short, it was not at all what Sarah had promised. His daughter had said she would arrange for the old man to stay in a good private residence, where he would be like he was on a resort. But now he was sitting in a gloomy, uncomfortable room with other similarly destitute people.
Going down to the yard, the elderly man sat down on a bench and fell into deep thought. There were so many helpless old people around who received no sympathy! A few years would pass, and he, too, would become frail. And there would be no close soul nearby.
– Good afternoon! – a pleasant female voice was heard.
Waking up from his heavy thoughts, Michael saw a pleasant-looking elderly lady in front of him.
– Hello, hello! Please, sit down, – the man said quietly.
– Why are you so sad? You must have just arrived. It is all right, I was worried at first too, but then I got used to it and calmed down. My name is Eleanor.
– It is a pleasure, and I am Michael. I am sitting here wondering why my own daughter treated me this way.
– And I was tricked by my nephew. I do not have any children of my own. So, I loved him like a son. I doted on him. Then I signed the apartment over to him, and he promised to help me. In the end, I ended up here. He had no pity for a lonely old aunt. Well, at least he did not throw me out onto the street, – the woman shared her story.
This sincere conversation between two abandoned elderly people lasted until the evening. They talked about what was hurting them, then they remembered their youth, and they felt a little better. The next day, they went for a walk together, and they talked and talked and talked… Neither of them wanted to return to the stuffy, cramped room.
Day after day passed, but Sarah did not visit. At first, the old man hoped that his daughter would come to her senses, feel pity for him, and take him home. But alas! His daughter did not even find the time to simply visit him, talk about the grandchildren, or bring some treats. Initially, the poor old man tried to talk to his relatives on the phone. But they all had the same answer: “No time, let us call back later.”
One day, Michael Smith walked out of the yard and unexpectedly bumped into his former neighbor, Robert.
– Hello, so, you are here? – the man asked in surprise.
– Yes, Robert. That is how life is sometimes, – the retiree answered sadly. – How is my Sarah doing? Do you see her often? Does she walk Rusty, as she promised?
Robert lowered his head and fell silent.
– What is it? What happened to my Rusty? Why are you not saying anything?
– The poor dog was thrown out onto the street. At first, he lived near the house. Everyone in the building was feeding him. But then he was taken to a shelter, – Robert replied sadly. – Sarah told everyone that you had moved to the countryside and did not take Rusty with you. And she is also planning to sell your apartment. She wants to move in with her husband’s parents. That is the situation.
Hearing this news, the old man clutched his heart. A frightened Robert helped him walk to a nearby bench, sat him down, and began to reassure him.
– It is all right, Robert, do not worry. It is good that I know the truth now. You are a lawyer, right?
– Yes, I specialize in property cases.
– Then help me go home! Tell me, can you do it, son? – the old man asked hopefully.
– I will try. I think we can sort everything out. Have you already signed off the apartment?
– No, I have not had a chance yet. But maybe Sarah signed me off herself. Who knows?
– Mr. Smith, let us not waste a minute. There is my car right there, come on, come on, – Robert helped the agitated retiree stand up and wanted to lead him to the car.
– Son, wait a little. I just need to get my things.
Returning to the residence, the old man packed his clothes into a bag and went to say goodbye to Eleanor.
– Eleanor, I am leaving. I cannot stay here anymore. My daughter threw the dog out and decided to sell the apartment. I need to do something immediately. Just do not worry. A lawyer promised to help me. So, I will come back for you soon, too.
– Why would you need me? – the poor woman cried.
– I will come back for you, calm down and wait. But now I need to rush. The car is waiting, I am sorry.
The old man could not get into his apartment right away. He had to stay at Robert’s place for a short time. It turned out that Sarah had moved in with her mother-in-law a few days ago. And no buyer had been found yet. So, they decided to rent out the place to tenants. But the law was on Michael Smith’s side. So, the responsive lawyer easily defended his interests.
– Thank you, Robert, for pulling me out of that terrible nursing home. But I just do not know what will happen next. Sarah will still not leave me alone. Maybe you can advise me?
– Do you want to move to the countryside? You could sell the apartment and buy a solid little house. You could give the rest of the money to Sarah. And I will assist you with the sale so that you are not cheated.
– That is a great idea!
A few months later, the invigorated old man was moving into a new house. Robert helped him with everything. He drove to the shelter for Rusty and kindly provided his car. On the way, they stopped by that very nursing home. Eleanor was sitting alone in the courtyard. Hearing the approaching car, the woman did not even turn around. Who knows who might have arrived.
– Eleanor, Eleanor! It is me, I came back for you. And this is Rusty, my old friend, look how cheerful he is! I think you two will become friends.
The woman was confused by the surprise.
– And where are we going from here?
– To the countryside, for some fresh air. We will sit in the garden and go mushroom picking. And we will go fishing, too. Come on, hurry up and get ready.
Amazed by her happiness, the old woman cried and rushed into the room for her belongings. A satisfied Michael smiled, and the dog barked joyfully. Finally, the troubles were over. The main thing was not to lose hope and to believe in a better life. After all, there are still more good people in this world than bad.
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