Steve went on a date with his mother when he was asked to clean the basement. He received an urgent call from the hospital while on his date. When he arrived at the hospital, he was shocked to discover who had found the older woman.
“Do we have to do that right now?”Steve snapped at Mrs. Pearson his mother, who had just asked for him to clean out her basement.
“Yes, please. If I want to rent this out for extra money, I need help cleaning it,”The 18-year-old son was resolutely supported by the grandmother.
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Steve was still living in his mother’s home, but he claimed to be independent and didn’t have to answer for anyone. He didn’t have to pay rent or food and Mrs. Pearson was happy for him. He noticed that they were getting more violent and he felt she was becoming too demanding.
“Mom, don’t be unreasonable –”
“I don’t have time. I have a date with Katherine,”Steve replied, and he put on his jacket.
“You will help me with this now, or you will have to find somewhere else to live, young man. Why can’t you be more like Alex Dempsey?”Mrs. Pearson asked, and she firmly resisted. She was done with her son’s attitude and his blasé nature.
She admitted that she may have coddled him too much in the past, due to his father’s departure. She refused to live with a parasite who couldn’t help her with basic tasks.
“Mom!”At the mention of their neighbor (15-year-old) who was always willing and able to help all their neighbors, he huffed like a little child. He could see her point her finger at the basement door, and her expression. He finally stepped toward her. “Fine, you go first.”
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“Good,”He smiled at her and she began walking down the stairs. Steve came up with an idea.
SLAM!
“Steve!”
“I’ll be back to help you later. You can get a head start!”After turning the key, the caller called from the opposite side of the door. He nearly forgot to answer his mother’s call and locked her up there.
He believed she was entitled to this because of her pushiness. And besides, he had other things to do than assist her.
***
“So, are you going to college soon?”Katherine asked him and he turned his head. This question was a hateful one for him because all of the California universities that he applied to had rejected him. He didn’t know what he wanted in life.
“I don’t think so. College is not that important anymore, you know? You can take a couple of Google courses online and succeed,”He shrugged. He was at the restaurant and already thinking about going back to Katherine’s to have a romantic night.
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“I guess,”He said nothing, but his mouth was twisted.
He was about to give more details to her when his phone rang. His friend could be calling to invite him to hang out. He would leave Katherine if Katherine did not want to go further. But he noticed a strange number in his phone’s screen.
“Hello?”He said it and was shocked to hear that someone else spoke up. It was an employee from the local hospital. His mother had just been admitted. “What? You must be mistaken. My mother’s home and safe.”
What might happen in a dark basementHe thought so, but the person insisted Mrs. Marianne Pearson was at the hospital and Steve had to go pick her up as he was her emergency contact.
“Can this wait?”
“Isn’t she your mother?”The person asked Steve as if he was insane.
The 18-year-old snapped “Fine!” He excused himself – he didn’t want Katherine anywhere close to his mother – got in his car, and drove quickly while swearing all the way from the restaurant to the hospital.
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Alex Dempsey arrived at the hospital in shock. He was seated beside his mother’s bed. “What the hell are you doing here, Dempsey?”He laughed at the teenager who turned around and stared at him with one of the most deadly expressions he had ever seen.
“Why in the hell did you lock your mother in the cellar, you idiot? You know I could call the police on you. That’s got to be some sort of abuse or felony.”Alex’s voice seemed to be full of venom and they looked at each others with total disdain. “Your mother fell down the stairs and broke her leg. If I hadn’t heard her cries for help, she would still be there.”
Steve was about throwing more vitriol towards the younger teen, when his mom opened her eyes. “Hey, Mom? Are you ok?”His tone was sweetened by Alex’s bravado.
His mother stared at him for a few seconds, and then she was silent. “Am I ok? You locked me in the basement, Steve,”She began.
“But Mom, the thing is –”
“Shut up,”Mrs. Pearson snapped. He was gone. “Tonight, you’ll pack a bag, and you’re out of my house forever. If you’re not out when I get back home, I will call the police like Alex said.”
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“Mom, don’t be unreasonable –”
“I SAID SHUT UP! AND YOU WILL NEVER CALL ME MOM AGAIN. GET OUT NOW!”The older woman shouted and began to cough from exhaustion.
Alex moved closer and gave her the glass on the bedside table. Steve looked at them, feeling anger, jealousy and shame as well as a host of other emotions he didn’t know.
“FINE!”He screamed and stormed out.
“And don’t you dare take the car or I’ll report it stolen!”
Steve ran out the hospital and returned home. He had packed everything and asked his friend to come pick him up. Because he was unable to work, he couchsurfed for several months. He tried to return one time, but his mother wouldn’t allow it.
So he dismissed her as a crazy person and tried his best for the future. “I need her,”He told it to himself several times over the years.
Many years later, he found out that his mother had died. He thought he could finally inherit her home. He learned that his mother had left him $20 in total when he met with Mrs. Pearson’s lawyer.
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“What about her house? It’s rightfully mine!!”He demanded that the attorney comply with his request.
“The house was bequeathed to one Alex Dempsey. Mrs. Pearson said that he was her real son,”The lawyer calmly explained, and Steve stormed from the office, returning to his miserable and mediocre life, without any support.
What can we learn from this tale?
- Respect your parents and all they do for you. While parents who love you unconditionally will do everything in their power to support your needs, there are limitations. After what Steve did, Steve didn’t merit Mrs. Pearsons kindness.
- Everyone is not entitled to an inheritance.Steve believed that he would be allowed in to his mother’s house. But she gave it away to Alex, the person who has helped her over many years.
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This story was a favorite of mine. It is about a man who locked his mother’s house for a month and returned to uncover something shocking.
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