Granny sat on the bench outside the house that wasnt hers anymore. Old Annie used to sit there every day, staring at the home where shed spent her whole life. But now it belonged to someone else, and she only stayed because they let her. She couldnt understand how it had come to this. Shed lived honestly, never wished harm on anyone, raised her only son with love.
But that son hadnt turned out the way she hoped. Tears ran down her wrinkled cheeks as she thought about it allher wedding day with her beloved George, the joy of their son Thomas arriving a year later. Then came the twins, a boy and a girl, but they were so fragile they didnt last the week. And not long after, George was gone tooappendicitis, the doctors said, though theyd caught it too late. Peritonitis had set in, and just like that, he was taken from her.
Shed wept for George, but life had to go on. Plenty of men had tried to court her over the years, but she never remarried. She worried a stepfather might make things hard for Thomas, so she poured everything into raising him alone.
Thomas grew up, moved away to the city, got an education, married, and built his own life. Annie stayed behind in the little cottage George had built for them, where she lived until age caught up with her. Thomas visited now and thenchopped firewood, fetched water, helped when he could. But as the years passed, the chores got harder. Even keeping a few chickens and a goat was too much.
One day, Thomas arrived with a stranger.
«Hello, Mum,» he said.
«Hello, Tommy.»
«This is my friend Edward. Hed like to buy the house. You cant stay here alone anymoreyoull come live with me in London.»
Annie sat down heavily.
«Dont worry, Mum. The wife doesnt mind. Youll be comfortable, help with the grandkids. They keep asking when Grannys coming.»
And just like that, the decision was made. What could an old woman do? She couldnt manage alone, but at least shed see her grandchildren.
The house sold fast. Before leaving, Annie walked through every room, touching the walls, the doorframeseach corner full of memories. Out in the garden, the silence hit her hardest. No more clucking hens, no goat bleating, no pigs grunting in the pen. Just empty space.
She scooped up a handful of earth, the soil shed worked for decades, and let it slip through her fingers. The neighbours wept as she left, promising to pray for her in her new life.
One last look at the house, then she climbed into her sons car. What else could she do? Such was the cruelty of old age.
At first, living with Thomas was fine. No chores, no livestockjust a warm flat, telly, and the grandkids. But then, with the money from the house, Thomas bought a flashy new car. Annie tried to warn himthat money wouldnt lastbut he cut her off. «You dont need to worry about money, Mum,» he said. «Youve got a roof over your head. Thats enough.»
After that, things changed. Thomas and his wife stopped caring if she ate, if she slept, if she needed anything. The grandkids grew distant. Sometimes theyd snap at hertold her she was in the way, spoke out of turn.
Annie was miserable. If shed known this would happen, shed have stayed in her cottage, even if it meant starving. Better to die in her own home than be treated like a stranger by her own flesh and blood.
She cried for her cottage every night. If she could go back, she would. But the house was sold, and strangers lived there now.
One day, shed had enough.
«I never thought my own son would treat me like this,» she told Thomas. «That money meant more to you than your own mother. Im leaving.»
Thomas just stared at the floor. As she walked out, her meagre belongings in a bag, he called after her, «When youre done wandering, Mum, you can always come back.»
She shut the door without a word and let the tears fall. It hurthe hadnt even tried to stop her.
It took Annie over a day to get back to her village. She slept at the station, hitchhiked the rest. The whole way, her eyes never dried. But when she saw her old housefreshly painted, just like when she and George first moved inher heart ached.
Even though it wasnt hers anymore, she crept into the old pigsty loft and decided to stay. At least she was home.
She didnt last long undiscovered. The next morning, the new owner came to feed the pigs. He poured the slop, looked up, and said, «Come down, Granny Annie. We need to talk.»
She expected the worst. But what Edward said next shocked her.
«Granny,» he said gently. «Your son called. Told us you might come. We know how they treated you. You cant live in a pigstythis was your home. Theres always a place here for you.»
Annie sobbednot from sorrow this time, but gratitude. Strangers had shown her more kindness than her own son.
Stepping back into the house, the smell of her old life nearly knocked her over. Shed been made a beggar in her own home, all because of Thomas. Her heart broke, but even then, she whispered a prayer for him.
