Gold Digger

It was during my early teenage days. One evening dad came home with an old man. He was one of our distant relative. His wife had died few years back and his sons were all abroad. He used to live alone in his big house in the suburbs. One day his son from Australia called my dad to check on his father, as he got the news that the old man was very sick. My dad paid him a visit to find the old man, several days hungry, high temperature and all. So, my dad decided to bring him home and take care of him until he gets well. I wasn't on the welcoming side as I had to share my room with an smelly old man, who would puke and shit unconsciously. At times he would started crying and screaming his dead wife’s name and curse his sons for leaving him alone to die, and it could be anytime, be it during the day or at midnight. I couldn't take it, so I started to sleep in my parent's room. My dad used to stay very less at home and it was my mom who had the duty to take care of him. Feeding him like a child, giving him medicines, and cleaning his shits spread all around the floor and his shitty clothes. My mom never complained though. I wonder how anyone can have such patience. I used to ask her, why she would clean the old man's mess day in and day out without hesitation. She would simply smile and reply that, serving the elderly people is an act of virtue, it’s an opportunity of lifetime that the good god grants to cut off our sins. I would get surprised listening to her words and feel miserable watching her work so hard for such an ungracious old man. The man was such an asshole. To prevent him from shitting all over I gave him a bell and told him to ring it whenever he feels like pooping. The old man would rather poop all over the floor, sleep over it, play with it, do all things possible but ring the damn bell. The saddest thing was after so much hard work and care from my mom, the old man wasn't even recovering. He was always lying in the bed, high fever and loose motion.

After few weeks, I finally decided to talk with father and convinced him to hire a nurse to take care of the old man. The old man was rich enough to afford a nurse for sure. So we got this young girl from nearby village, who would be with the old man all the time, feed him, give him medicines, clean him and all. I was happy finally the problem was solved and I would get my room back, but instead it was arranged that the girl would stay in our house and serve the old man. At least my mom would get some relief. My mom would time and again ask me to go to the old man's room and talk with him as she would say, talking and hanging out with elderly, listening to them would help me develop my intellectuals and their experiences and stories would help me solve my life dilemmas in the future. So, I would have to go to his room and listen to his whining about his dead wife and how his sons left him alone to die and wonder how these laments would solve my life dilemmas in the future. 

After we hired the nurse, I started to see some changes in the old man. For the first time he talked other than his sons with me. 

"Who is this girl?" He asked. "I have never seen her before."

"She is your new caretaker. She will take care of you now." I said.

"Why? My wife left, my sons left, everyone left me. Why would she want to take care of me?" He started weeping again.

"Well she has nothing better to do I guess. And we pay her."

After few days we started to see improvements in the old man's behavior. He started to ring the poop signal bell. He stated to sit up. And he cried less. Now he started to talk about his wealth. He used to talk about his bungalow and his bank balance. The nurse said that, he would ask to rub his back, his chest, his buttocks . One day I saw him giving her money, she too kept it in her pocket without hesitation.

One day I was sitting with the old man and he was telling me the tales of his glorious days, how he was strong and would chop ten trees in an hour. He said he was the best dancer and he met his wife in a vailo program. They were married because they were better than everyone and looked good dancing together in a duet. In my bewilderment the old man even stood in his leg for the first time and showed me dance moves. I started enjoying his company. I frequented my visits and even started taking him in short walks around the house. 

One day the old man took me to a fancy store and offered to buy me anything I liked. Well, I thought, the old man is being gracious for all we have done for him. He is now healthy and walking, all because of us. Then we went to a restaurant and he bought me food. And with food the old man revealed his real intentions.

"I want to marry the nurse. Can you talk about it with your father?"

"What?" I nearly choked with food inside my mouth. 

“I talked with her and she is ready for it. She loves me and takes care of me like my old dead wife.” The old man started sobbing again. “I was already dead inside. She resurrected me and my reason to live from dead. You can see the change.”

“Well she has done some sorcery, I must say.”

“So, will you talk with your father?”

“Why me? Why don’t you talk yourself? It’s your hormones that are boiling at this age, after all.”

“Your father is like a son to me. How can I talk about my marriage with him? You are his son, you can demand him my happiness from him. Tell him in a way that you want me to be happy and married. Don’t you want me to be happy and healthy?”

“Dad will kick me out me if I discussed this absurd with him.” I started to laugh.

 “It’s not absurd. It’s love. Don’t make fun of it boy.” The old man got serious.

I thought for a while and for the sake of good times and as the old man promised he would buy me the latest video game set, I agreed to talk with dad. 

Dad had nothing to say. He said the old man to do whatever he wants but he can’t stay at our house, if he gets married with the nurse. 

The old man and I went to the girl’s house and her parents agreed to exchange their daughter with gold & cash and a will for all his property goes to the girl after his death.

The old man died after a year and the girl got married with her ex-boyfriend. 

Well as for me, I got a new video game set and it was all jolly good back then. 

Mom was right, later in life, the old man’s story is really helping me solve my life dilemmas.