Agnes was sitting in one of the living room’s corners, teary-eyed. Everyone had left after discussing Clara’s wedding—during which Agnes stated her intention not to attend, despite her desire to do so—and she now regretted why she said that. I never imagined this day would come.
It is, indeed, unfortunate that now I won’t be attending it. The elderly lady reflected. Agnes was 75 years old when her beloved husband Edward died. Soon after, her health began to fail, and she relocated to New York to live with her son’s family.
They were initially very loving and caring, but when Agnes was diagnosed with dementia, things began to change. She could hear her son Timothy and his wife Linda arguing almost every day about whether she should be moved to a nursing home or how expensive treatment would be if her health deteriorated further. But Agnes swallowed all of the pain and stayed there because she adored her granddaughter.
After Edward left for his heavenly abode, Agnes only had one wish: she wanted to see her granddaughter wed before God decided to send her to Edward. So she didn’t touch a penny from the money she’d been saving for her granddaughter for years. She was overjoyed when she finally learned Clara was getting married and offered all of her money to help with the wedding preparations.
However, things didn’t go as planned. “$25,000! That’s a lot of money, mom!
I can’t take this from you,” Timothy explained. “I know you adore Clara, and you want to help us, but trust me, mom, it’s not needed.”
“But honey, what will I do with the money at my age?” Agnes asked in a frail voice. “You are aware that my health is deteriorating.
I’m not even sure how much longer I’ll be living. Please allow me to do this.”
“She’s right, honey,” Linda interjected, her eyes twinkling at Agnes’s wealth. “After all, she only has one granddaughter.
I don’t mind it, Mrs. Arnold. In fact, you made the right decision.”
“See, even your wife agrees with me, Tim,” Agnes remarked.
“I’ll give you the details of my savings account. Please withdraw the money and use it, okay?”
“But mom. I don’t think—” Timothy was hesitant to accept the money from Agnes, but when she kept insisting, he finally gave in.
Meanwhile, Clara was anything but impressed with her grandmother. “She’s not coming, guys. How can you even think of inviting grandma to the wedding?
Ughh, I’m so done with that sick, old hag!” Clara yelled at her parents one evening. “But, honey,” her mother protested, “she paid for your wedding.”
“Come on, Mom! Just because she paid doesn’t mean that we invite her.
Don’t you remember what the doctors said? Her dementia is worsening. If that old hag shows up at the wedding, I swear I’ll cancel everything!
I’m not letting her ruin my special day!”
“Enough!” her father exclaimed. “She’s your grandmother. At the very least, show some decency!”
“I don’t care, dad!
I’m serious. That woman isn’t coming. It’s my wedding, and I’m taking her name off the guest list right now!”
At that point, the wedding was only two weeks away.
Agnes was excited about it, but her heart sank when she overheard her granddaughter discussing removing her name from the wedding guest list. Unfortunately, it affected her condition over time, and when Timothy took her to the doctor one day, he was told that if he didn’t take proper care of her, her condition would worsen even further. When Clara and Linda found out, they were furious and suggested that Agnes be placed in a nursing home.
“We don’t have time to care for her, and I don’t want to ruin my only daughter’s wedding because of her health problems,” Linda suggested. So when Agnes returned from her doctor’s appointment, she announced that she would not be attending Clara’s wedding. The poor woman also advised her son to agree to his wife’s request and move her into a nursing home as soon as possible.
“I know you’re concerned about me, Tim. But I don’t think your wife and, especially, Clara want me here. It’s best if I leave.
Please!” she begged. Timothy was hesitant to grant Agnes’ request, but Agnes begged and cried that she felt suffocated in the house all the time. Agnes was sitting, teary-eyed, on the morning she was about to leave the house for the nursing home.
Her thoughts were racing on how adorable Clara had been as a child. She spent her summer vacations at her house, and she loved her more than anything, but over time, all of those feelings had faded from her granddaughter’s heart, and all that remained was a mean person who was ashamed to invite her grandmother to the wedding because she was sick; a dementia patient. Agnes was in tears on Clara’s wedding day, remembering how excited she’d been all these years to see her granddaughter in her wedding gown.
When she couldn’t take it any longer, she asked the nurse Lincy to call her son Timothy and ask for the address of the wedding venue. “I’ll just watch her and come back, Tim,” Agnes told her son on the call. “And don’t worry, I’ll make sure she doesn’t see me.
I don’t want to ruin her mood on her wedding day.”
“Of course, mom. I won’t stop you if you really want to. I’m sorry I couldn’t persuade Clara to let you attend the wedding, but I can do this much for you.”
“That’s okay, honey.
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