This idea of leaving the two of them to work in the mine was the inspiration given to Agustin by Albina.
She had said that she only wanted the house, and that as for the father and son, it was okay to let them work as laborers, so Agustin decided to let the father and son go to the mine, where his men could keep a close eye on them. Even if they learned later that it was all a ploy designed by Albina, they would have no way of getting out of the mine to bother her.
Albina had given him so many benefits, so he should consider her safety. Besides, Ramon and Alex were truly evil, killing their own kin, showing no trace of remorse. It was already a mercy for them to let them end up like that.
Under Agustin’s arrangement, Ramon and Alex would most likely have to stay locked up in the mine for the rest of their lives, working day and night without being able to get any pay. Such a punishment was no exaggeration, because they both deserved it!
So, Agustin’s men escorted the father and son to the car to leave for the mine. The old woman followed them and constantly begged for mercy, looking pitiful but hateful.
The leader stopped her with his hand after receiving a call, and said in a soft voice:
-Madam, you had better not follow them into the mine. With your weak physical condition, if you were to go to the mine, I’m afraid you would die of exhaustion in less than two days and we would have to buy a coffin for you. Your granddaughter is very good and has asked Agustin to prepare a home for you.
Having said this, he dragged the old woman to another car and sighed as he walked:
-Excuse the rudeness, but I think you are really shocked for having made a great effort to raise two ingrates. If you had been a little better with your youngest son, you wouldn’t have ended up in such a miserable situation.
Mrs. Espina froze when she heard him mention her youngest son, Juan.
After so many years, she could no longer clearly remember her youngest son’s face, but she still remembered his expectant look every time he came to visit her. Juan always hoped that his own mother could be a little nicer to him, but what she gave him was pure indifference.
Although the old woman had complaints against Juan, she had to admit that this little son was a truly good person. Even though she, as his mother, had treated him badly, he repaid her evil with good, doing everything he could to please her.
In contrast, the older son, whom she had always loved, held a grudge inside and had even done something to her, although he had given her everything he had.
“If John were still alive, surely I wouldn’t end up in a situation like this. But he already died…”
When the old woman was immersed in her own sadness, the man put her in the car.
The car drove for about half an hour and stopped.
The man helped the old woman out of the car, pointed a finger at a ramshackle residence in front of her and said:
-This is where you are going to live from now on. Inside there are quite a few old people who have no one to support them.
He then handed a wallet into the old woman’s arms and explained:
-This is the money your granddaughter has prepared for you, which should be enough to last you for a while. Although this is a nursing home, since no one pays for the elderly, everyone who lives here has to support themselves. So you’d better do some work to save money for your future living expenses and possible medical bills.
After saying that, the man walked away without waiting for the old woman’s response.
The old woman was left standing alone in front of the dilapidated door.
A moment later, the front door opened from inside and out came a middle-aged woman, who had a kind and tender face.
Seeing the stupefied old woman in the doorway, she greeted her with a smile:
-You must be Mrs. Espina, right? Welcome to our residence.
As the director spoke, several elderly people also came out from inside, looking her up and down and whispering:
-Have all your relatives died?
-I suppose so. Otherwise, how could they have come here?
The old woman smiled bitterly as she heard what they were whispering.
She had two sons. One was dead, while the other and her grandson were forced to work in a mine to pay off the debt. Her only granddaughter hated her guts and would never be able to support her. Obviously, she had relatives, but she had ended up with no one to keep her alive, so in some sense you could say she was more pathetic than those childless old men, but she deserved it all.
This almost dilapidated residence before her was the only place she could stay now. Although the condition was not good, at least she had a room to sleep in.
Thinking thus, Mrs. Espina nodded her head and answered:
-Yes, that’s me.
The director walked inside as she spoke:
-Well, you should have heard about the situation in our nursing home. We only have one lady who cooks besides me in this home. Because we have no funds to hire more staff, therefore, we cannot take care of the elderly who are in too weak situation.
Mrs. Espina nodded in response while attentively observing the entire residence. Indeed, she noticed that all the elderly in the courtyard, although very old, were in good health.
In the not very large courtyard sat a group of elderly people, but not idly chatting and sunbathing as in other nursing homes, but busy at work. In this nursing home, most of them did simple manual labor, because work was the only way to make a living here.
The director gave her a brief presentation of what each one did and, seeing that she had no other talents, gave her the task of gluing cardboard boxes.
A few days later, the old woman, sitting on a small bench with a numb face, began to do her job of folding cardboard boxes with her dry fingers.
The people around her felt that the old woman was very strange and did not dare to engage her in conversation.
While taking a break after work, she suddenly thought of her youngest son. Without knowing why, she was increasingly reminded of Juan lately.
Ramon had been very naughty as a child, but Juan had been very well-behaved, as if he had sensed that his mother didn’t like him, and he had rarely cried since he was a baby. When Juan grew older, he didn’t let her worry about him either. He even went out to work without asking for a penny from the family to pay for his older brother’s schooling when he was 19.
When Ramon only knew how to ask her for money, Juan sent her money every month, with letters urging her not to give all the money to her brother and to take good care of her own health.
What did she do then?
She tore the letter into pieces and wrote back, scolding him that she did not have her own older brother at heart and that he had become cunning and wanted to take advantage of her after forming vicious habits outside.
Come to think of it, how would a young man, who was only 18 and working outside, feel when he saw a letter from his hometown and opened it with joy only to see his own mother’s rebuke and suspicion?
The old woman also recalled that John had asked her for help when he was short of money in the beginning of his business venture, but she flatly refused, and even threw him and his wife out mercilessly.
After succeeding in his business through hard work, John and his wife would often visit her, taking many gifts. However, she would keep the gifts and throw them both out of her house….
Still, Juan always treated her very well and respected her. But in the end such a good man died at the hands of his own brother.
-Mrs. Espina, what’s the matter, why are you crying, did you cut your hand on the cardboard? -an old woman next to her asked with concern as she sat on a small bench and wept, tears sliding down her wrinkled face.
She wiped her tears and answered:
-Yes, the edge of the cardboard is very sharp and cut my finger. Don’t worry, I’m fine.
Her hand was not cut, but her heart was so sore, as if a big cut had been made in it.
She regretted not having loved John well when he was alive.
“I don’t deserve to be his mother! I hope my dear son will never meet such an irresponsible mother like me in his next life.”