Arthur has lived alone in his large house for ten years now. His wife passed away five years ago, and the whole town turned out for the funeral. People wept openly; Martha had truly been a woman in a million.
When she died, Arthur was devastated. He spent sleepless nights plastering the walls with photos of his dearly departed wife. Everything around him served as a reminder of her. Arthur had been married twice, with one son from each marriage.
His first son had passed away unexpectedly not long ago. He'd been a hardworking man, but his heart simply gave out one day. They couldn't save him in time.
Arthur's second son, Leo, had lived abroad for ten years. He visited his father often, bringing gifts, groceries, and money. The old man was flattered by the attention. Though a bit gruff by nature, Arthur was a wonderful man at heart, and it comforted him to know he was remembered and loved.
"Why are you calling me every day and wasting your money?" Arthur would say with a laugh. "I'm still kicking. When I go, someone will let you know."
He kept his phone calls brief, trying to save his son the expense, and often chided him for being over-attentive.
"I'm just working in the garden, reading the papers, and watching TV," Arthur would say of his leisure time.
But the old man wasn't being entirely truthful. Some time after his wife's passing, the neighbors started whispering about a mysterious woman. They claimed she was visiting him regularly.
At first, Leo didn't believe it. He figured people would gossip for a while and then stop. But the rumors of the mystery woman wouldn't leave the neighborhood. Reports kept reaching Leo about a lady visiting his father's house. However, whenever he asked directly about her, his father was evasive.
"Don't go imagining things, son. There's no one here. Everything's fine," he'd answer.
Leo would calm down for a bit after those responses. But he only got definitive proof a year later. Due to travel restrictions, he hadn't been able to visit in person. The only way to help was by sending care packages.
"My wife and I put together a little something for you; we'll ship it out in the next few days," Leo said over a scratchy connection.
"Why all the fuss? Everything is fine. I don't need a thing. I've got everything I need. Honestly, the things you come up with, sending these packages. Don't you have anything better to do?" his father grumbled.
Leo convinced him it was fine, but instead of hanging up, his father continued grumbling to someone else in the room. And then, Leo heard a woman's voice.
"Oh, why are you getting so worked up? He's saying it's a gift for you. Don't be cross."
Unable to believe his ears, Leo decided to call his father's other number. A woman picked up. She didn't sound the least bit flustered.
"Hello? Who is this?"
Stunned by what he heard, Leo remained silent for a moment and then called his father's primary number again. This time, the old man answered.
"Son, what's happened? Why are you ringing me for the tenth time today?"
"I don't understand, Dad. What's going on? Who was that woman who picked up the phone? Has something changed in your personal life?"
"What woman? What are you talking about? You must have dialed the wrong number. Nothing's changed. Everything is the same as it's always been. Stop making things up," his father replied and hung up.
Leo couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He sat in his car for a long time, staring blankly at the street. Finally, he went inside his house.
"Can you believe it? My father has some woman living with him," he told his wife, his voice bordering on tears.
"What makes you say that?"
"I'd heard rumors, but just now she actually answered the phone. Who is she? What is she doing there with him?" Leo kept repeating, his face twisting with anger.
"I don't know, and neither do you. But there's nothing we can do right now with the borders closed. Once they open up, you can go and figure out exactly what's what."
***
Meanwhile, the unknown woman was indeed living in the old man's house. Her name was Linda. She was nearly six years younger than him. Her husband had died three years prior, and she had a daughter and two grandchildren. After living for a short time without a man, she had decided she urgently needed a strong shoulder to lean on.
As it turned out, she had started by asking Arthur to help out with chores around her place. One day she needed a shelf put up, another day she needed help picking cherries. An old, lonely man is always glad to help. He was solitary; he was bored. In the company of such a lady, he felt necessary and irreplaceable.
"Oh, look at you! You're just wonderful. You've done so much work around the house. I would have struggled for ages on my own. Thank you, Artie," she would say tenderly.
At those words, the old man would only blush and smile sheepishly. After a while, Linda started treating him to pies, fresh baked goods, and homemade soup. She would drop by for any reason at all. Very soon, he grew deeply attached to her.
"Listen to what I have to say and don't interrupt," Arthur told her one day. "You're alone. I'm alone. Why don't you just move in? If you don't mind, it's a bit more cheerful with two of us."
"Oh, Artie, I never even dared to dream... Of course I agree. I'll feel so safe with you."
From that moment on, Linda essentially moved into the old man's house. She was effectively his wife. She cooked, did the laundry, and cleaned. She waited for him to come home from the grocery store or the market. She encouraged him in every way and was always by his side.
On the surface, everything seemed fine between the old man and his new lady. But in reality, things were a bit different. Leo began to notice that his father was frequently intoxicated during their calls. He barely spoke, trying to hang up as quickly as possible.
"I don't get what's happening. Dad won't tell me a thing about his new girlfriend, but meanwhile, he's drinking more and more. I can tell when he's drunk on the phone. I don't like this," Leo shared his concerns with his wife.
"I think you're worrying over nothing. It'll be fine. Even if your father has found someone, isn't that a good thing? Is it better for him to be alone? He's a healthy man with natural needs. I'm glad he has a woman. She can look after him, and he won't be so lonely in that big house," she replied.
"Maybe, but I'm afraid that in a fit of passion or love—or whatever he has with this woman—he'll do something stupid."
"Well, if you're that worried, go see him as soon as you can. You'll be able to tell what's going on much faster in person."
"Yeah, you're right."
And so they left it at that. But time passed. A few months later, Leo found out that his father had decided to get married. Furthermore, Arthur hadn't said a word to him about it. Struggling to process the information, Leo called him to demand an explanation.
"Dad, what is going on over there? Your neighbors told me your love life is blooming. More than that, they said you're planning to get married! Is it true or not?!"
"Those busybodies! They told you everything. Like it's any of their business. Well, yes, it's true. I met someone. I want to get married."
"My God. I can't believe this. Are you in your right mind? You're not a kid anymore. What are you thinking? Snap out of it! Think about Mom. Go visit her grave. It hasn't even been that long. Have you forgotten her already?"
"I haven't forgotten anyone! I remember everything. I was just at your mother's grave a couple of weeks ago. Stop talking like that. You should be happy I'm not alone anymore," his father said, then hung up.
Unable to handle the situation any longer, Leo packed his bags. The border had opened for one-way travel. He knew leaving his current country wouldn't be hard; the trouble would be getting back in later.
Upon arriving home, Leo went straight to his father's house. There, he saw a cheerful woman busy in the garden.
"Meet Linda," the old man said with a smile.
"Oh... you must be Leo. I've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." She held out a hand encased in a dirty gardening glove.
Leo looked at the hand with distaste and cleared his throat.
"Dad, can I have a word?"
They stepped aside. Linda continued planting flowers in the bed near the house, casting occasional glances at the two men talking in the gazebo.
"What is all this? What are you doing?"
"Listen, son, I've lived alone for years. Things change. I missed having someone around, some affection. Linda came into my life at the right time. She takes care of me. That's enough for me."
"But don't you think she's with you for something other than love? You've got a hefty pension, plus the income from the farm. And this house. Have you thought about that?"
"Leo," his father laughed. "She's a wonderful woman. She's kind and gentle. I can't say a single bad thing about her."
"Watch yourself, Dad. Keep your guard up with her. I don't like her. If you want my opinion, I'm against this relationship."
"And who said I was interested in your opinion? Do you want me to be alone until I'm in the ground, praying to your mother's pictures? Yes, I loved her. But she's gone, do you understand? She's not here. And I'm a living human being. Leave, before I lose my temper. Please, just go," the old man pointed a trembling hand toward the door.
Stunned, Leo left the house and wandered over to his mother-in-law's place nearby. She welcomed him with open arms. Gritting his teeth, he told her the bitter truth about his father. She only shrugged helplessly and sighed.
"Don't take it so hard. It'll be alright. Your father isn't a child. He knows what's best for him."
"Old fool," Leo muttered, unable to help himself.
The next day, he called a friend who used to work for the police. The friend used his connections to run a background check on Linda.
"Unfortunately, I don't have much for you. There's nothing on your Linda. No priors, no criminal record. I don't know what you have against her. Just be happy your father isn't alone," his friend reported over the phone.
"Thanks for the info. I'll do without the advice, though," Leo snapped.
He shared his fears with his wife.
"Listen to me," she suggested. "Tell your father you're heading back home. Let Linda think you've left. Then we'll see what she plans to do next."
That's exactly what they did. That evening, Leo went to say goodbye to his father. The old man was drunk. He took the news of his son's departure passively, patted him on the shoulder, packed some treats for the grandkids, and went into the living room to watch TV.
"Let's see what you do now that you think I'm gone," Leo thought.
He rented a car and began staking out his father's house. In an instant, Leo had become a character in some detective or spy story. All week long, he watched as Linda kept his father in a stupor. She bought the alcohol herself and constantly offered it to him. She refilled his glass every time it was empty.
"Why is she trying to keep him drunk? What is she after?" Leo wondered aloud, but he had no answers yet.
One morning, he saw Linda getting ready to go somewhere. Following her, he managed to catch her at a notary's office. She wasn't inside long, but when she came out, she was carrying a folder of documents.
"What could those be? What is this woman up to?" Leo was baffled.
The answer came after nightfall. When Linda and the old man went into the house, Leo slipped into the yard and hid by the window. Linda was busy setting the table. Leo's father walked into the room, swaying on his feet.
"Great, he's already drunk," Leo thought, carefully peeking inside.
Linda and Arthur sat down at the table. They had dinner and drank heavily. When the old man was barely conscious, Linda slid the documents in front of him. He glanced at them with a vacant stare and slumped his face back down onto the table.
"What is she doing?" Leo whispered. He turned on his phone camera and began filming.
Without hesitation, Linda placed a pen in Arthur's hand and shook the heavily intoxicated man once more. She pointed to where he needed to sign and watched closely to make sure he followed her instruction. Finally, the document was signed.
To be absolutely sure, Linda scrutinized the paper and let out a triumphant cry. Then, she made a phone call. A few minutes later, a car pulled up to the house.
A middle-aged man was behind the wheel. As soon as he honked once, Linda ran out to him with two duffel bags and the folder of documents tucked under her arm. The man stepped out with an air of importance and helped load her things into the trunk.
"And who the hell is this?" Leo asked himself, recording the license plate number. The car drove away.
Leo immediately called his friend, providing the new details and the mystery car's plates. The friend promised to find out everything he could.
***
The next morning, Arthur woke up with a pounding headache. He stood up from the table, looked around the house, and was surprised to find no sign of Linda. Checking the rooms, he realized her belongings were gone too.
While the old man was looking around in confusion, a stranger appeared at the door. As it turned out, the previous night, Arthur—without realizing it—had sold his house to a mysterious buyer. According to the stranger, who expertly produced the contract signed by the bewildered old man, Arthur had also agreed to vacate the premises within three business days. At that moment, Leo called his father.
"I have some good news and some bad news. I finally found out something about your 'Linda.' Her real name is Olivia. Besides a daughter, she also had a son, Steven. Years ago, when he first started working at the mine, a tragedy occurred.
A lift full of miners got stuck during the descent. There were rumors that the lift operator—who was you, Dad—was drunk at the time and didn't notice the lift had stopped. Steven came to relieve you and heard a strange noise. The cable went slack, the lift flipped, and it plummeted down with the miners inside. Everyone died.
When it came time to find who was responsible, instead of the experienced and respected operator, they blamed young Steven for criminal negligence. He was sentenced to prison. Unable to bear the shame, the young man took his own life.
Olivia decided to get revenge for her son's death. She blamed you for everything, Dad. She tricked you into giving up your house and was preparing to turn your life into a living hell."
But Leo had suspected foul play just in time. Having reported everything to his friend, he went straight to the police. The problem was resolved quickly. Olivia was brought into the station where, after being shown Leo's video, she confessed to everything.
When Leo returned to his father's house, he didn't tell him the whole truth. The old man was just happy to see his son. He told him the "sad" news about Linda's strange disappearance.
"It's so odd. She just packed her bags and left. Didn't explain a thing to me."
"It's okay, Dad. Everything's going to be fine. You'll find twenty more Lindas. You've still got plenty of life in you. Just stop the drinking, okay? Alcohol never led anyone to a happy ending," Leo said, winking at his father.
The two men looked at each other for a long time, then both shed a quiet tear and shared a long, firm hug. They were lucky to have each other.
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