Shirley had always counted on her younger brother, Alex, to look after their mother while she moved abroad. She believed he would take good care of her. But everything changed when Shirley visited home a year later, leading to a shocking discovery that turned her life upside down.
Shirley, a 40-year-old nurse, had left her hometown for a new life in the US. Before she moved, she had lived with her aging mother, who refused to go into a nursing home. So, when Shirley left, she needed someone to take over caring for her mother. Alex, who had just finished university, was the person she trusted to handle it.
Before Shirley left, she had a serious conversation with Alex. “Mom needs someone to stay with her full-time. I can’t take her with me because we live in a small apartment with my husband and son,” she said.
Alex, however, wasn’t thrilled about moving to their rural village with their mother. “I’ll visit her every weekend,” he said. “I’ll make sure the house is clean and she has food. But I don’t want to live there.”
Shirley was worried, but she reluctantly agreed to this plan.
For the next three years, Alex did visit every weekend as promised. But when Shirley came home for the holidays, she was shocked by how frail her mother had become. At 65, her mother now seemed unable to live alone.
“We need to come up with a new plan,” Shirley said to Alex. “Mom can’t keep living by herself.”
Alex agreed, but still refused to move to the village. Shirley, determined to make sure her mother was cared for, offered a new deal. “How about I send you money every month? You can move in with her, and the money will cover both of you.”
Alex liked the idea and agreed, which gave Shirley some peace of mind as she returned to the US. She hoped her brother would finally fulfill his promise, despite knowing he enjoyed hanging out with friends. As promised, she sent him enough money each month to support both him and their mother.
But Shirley had no idea that Alex never actually moved in with their mother. Instead, he continued his weekend visits, pocketing the money and spending it on himself. Their mother, too proud to bother Shirley, kept quiet about what was really going on. She didn’t want to add to her daughter’s worries.
A year later, Shirley planned another trip home, but this time she decided to surprise her family by arriving earlier than expected. When she walked through the door, she was stunned to find her mother alone.
“Where’s Alex?” Shirley asked, her voice full of worry. “Isn’t he supposed to be living here and taking care of you?”
Her mother sighed and finally told the truth. “He visits sometimes, but he never moved in. He spends most of the money you send on himself.”
Angry and hurt, Shirley confronted Alex later that day. “You promised me you’d take care of Mom!” she said. “How could you leave her alone like this?”
Alex shrugged, dismissing her concerns. “There are plenty of elderly people living on their own here. They manage just fine. Mom’s been okay.”
Shirley wasn’t buying it. She pressed him about what he had done with the money she sent. Her mother revealed the truth: “He’s been gambling it away with his friends. Everyone in the village knows him for it.”
Shirley was devastated. Her brother’s betrayal was crushing. She turned to her husband for advice. “I think we should bring Mom to live with us,” she said, worried about their finances but determined to care for her mother.
After some discussion, her husband agreed. Shirley then talked to her mother, who, after some thought, agreed to sell her house to help them afford a larger apartment. They kept the sale a secret, worried that Alex might demand his share.
Before Shirley left, she told Alex they had made other arrangements for their mother’s care. “A neighbor will check on her daily until we figure out the next steps,” she said.
“Just put her in a nursing home; she’ll be fine,” Alex responded, showing no concern for their mother’s well-being.
Disappointed in her brother, Shirley returned to the US and began the process of selling their mother’s house. Three months later, her mother arrived to move in with Shirley’s family. They used the money from the sale to get a bigger apartment, and Shirley felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders, knowing her mother was finally in good hands.
At the airport, Shirley waited eagerly for her mother’s arrival. As they settled into their new life together, Shirley felt grateful that her mother would no longer be alone and could enjoy her remaining years surrounded by family, especially her grandson.
Key Lessons:
- Trust must be earned, not just given. Shirley trusted Alex to care for their mother, but he broke that trust by lying and neglecting his responsibilities.
- Family takes care of one another. Despite financial worries, Shirley’s husband agreed to have her mother live with them, showing the importance of supporting loved ones who can no longer care for themselves.
