When I moved to Europe for work, my biggest worry wasn’t about settling in a new country—it was about how my mom would manage without me.
I’d lived with her all these years, and even though I knew chasing career opportunities abroad was the right move, leaving her behind wasn’t easy.
She was super supportive, reassuring me she’d be fine, but I could tell it was tough on her. So, I asked my younger brother to check in on her at least once a week.
As time went on, and Mom turned 65, I realized she needed more attention. She wasn’t helpless, but keeping up with a big house at that age wasn’t easy, and her health wasn’t quite the same.
I offered to pay my brother monthly to help out more, and he agreed. I kept in touch, calling regularly, and everything seemed fine.
But then one day, I decided to surprise her with a visit. And when I walked into her house, I was completely shocked.
“Where is Alex? Shouldn’t he be taking care of you?” I asked my mom. She told me that Alex would come to visit her once in a while, but he never moved back to live with her.
I was furious. Every time I spoke with my brother, he promised that he was taking care of our mother. Just as she tried to make sense of her brother’s lies, he walked in, surprised to see me and my family there. “Hey sis, this is a surprise. Why are you back so early?” Alex asked.
“You promised to take care of mom; why would you leave her by herself?” Shirley asked.
“There are so many old people in this village living by themselves, and they are fine; even mom has been fine this whole time,” he replied.
When I questioned Alex about what he was doing with the money I had sent all year, my mother told her he used the money to gamble every weekend with his friends. “He has become popular in the village for always having extra money to gamble with,” she said.
Saddened by what my mother revealed, I conversed with my husband in private. “I think we should take mom to come and live with us,” I said. My husband wanted to take mom with us, but he was worried about financial situation.
“We can sell this house here and use that to get a bigger apartment,” Shirley suggested.
Worried that my brother would want a share of the money, I asked my mother in secret, and she agreed to move with us and sell the house without Alex knowing.
At the end of my visit, I told Alex to no longer take care of our mother. “Our neighbor will come and take care of her every day until we can decide what to do with her,” I said.
“Take her to an elderly home. She’ll be fine,” Alex replied.
I was very disappointed in my younger brother, but I was sure that my plan would work. As soon as I and my family headed back to the US, I began the process of selling the house as quickly as possible.
I stood at the airport waiting for my mother to land three months later. While preparing for her arrival, I and my husband and son received the proceeds of the sale and moved into a bigger apartment.
I was relieved to have my mother live with me. I knew I would be able to take care of her, and my mother would not have to be lonely living by herself. She was grateful to spend time with her grandson and the rest of the family.