Without the support of his three children, whom he was struggling to bring up, the poor old father was forced to work in a welding factory to make ends meet. One day his wife and children received a phone call from the factory to report a heartbreaking accident.
What would you do if the children you raised with all your love and hard work turned away from you one day? How would you react if you were told that you were still “strong enough” to work for your bread instead of offering to support yourself?
The story of Fred Wilson, 63, gives some answers. Father Winslow decided it was time to step back and rest after the wedding of his last child, daughter Christy. He blindly trusted his instinct that his three children would look after him and his wife in their old age.
But who knew that the children he had raised with such love and care would reject him and tell him to get a job rather than expect them to look after him?
“Our daughter has grown up, but to me she’s still that little girl who took baby steps holding my hand,” Fred told his wife Emma. “And today I’m walking her down the aisle!”
The parents were happy to see their daughter in a new world, although it pained them to see her leave them. Mixing feelings of joy and sadness, Fred thought it was finally time to stop working and retire.
“It’s time to tell Emma the truth, but I’ll do it tomorrow,” Fred thought. I know she’ll be surprised and delighted by my decision.
Confident of Emma’s approval, Fred spent the night quietly waiting for her to know that he had quit his job as a cashier at the local supermarket.
The next morning Emma served Fred breakfast and prepared lunch. “Don’t forget to take your medicine, darling. I put them in your lunch bag,” she said. But when she returned from the kitchen fifteen minutes later, she was surprised to see that Fred had not yet changed his clothes.
“Dear? It’s already 8:30… hurry up! Go wash up and change your clothes, otherwise you’ll be late for work,” she said. But Fred ignored her pleas with a smile.
“What’s the matter with you, Fred? Aren’t you going to the store today?” “What is it?” she asked again. “It’s late, and don’t tell me you have a day off today.”
Fred looked at Emma and smiled again. “No, darling, I’m not on time off, I’m on permanent time off!”
“Permanent time off?” – Emma exclaimed, “What do you mean?”
Emma was shocked and angry when Fred told her he had quit his job. Although the old man thought his wife would appreciate his decision, her reaction stunned him.
“Darling, what’s wrong?” – he asked her timidly. “Did I do something wrong? I’ve always wanted to retire and relax… and you know it. I thought now might be a good time for that.”
But Emma was far from sure of that. She was worried about running the household and buying good presents for their grandchildren who hadn’t arrived yet.
“How could you make such a hasty decision, Fred?” – she angrily said. “How could you be so stupid? What are we going to do now? You spent all your savings on our daughter’s wedding. How are we going to maintain the house without your salary?”
Fred was calm and assured her that they had nothing to worry about. “Darling, what’s there to worry about when you have three children that I helped raise? I’m sure they won’t want me to work anymore. They’ll look after us, don’t you worry!”
Unfortunately, old Fred’s confidence in his children crumbled the next day when Emma called them to her house.
“Mum told us you quit your job,” Christy told her father. “I just got married and I want to travel the world with my husband.” Her brothers, Matt and Eric, also looked anxious, waiting for their turn to speak.
Fred was a little shocked, but he understood his daughter. She had just married and had some plans for her future with her husband. He turned to his two sons, still convinced that they would support him and Emma. But his expectations were shattered when his sons told him that he needed to get a job.
“Dad, listen. My wife and I have home and car loans,” Matt said, “I don’t think I can support you financially right now.”
” And us, Sophie and I are planning to have a baby this year, Dad,” Eric interjected. “You know how hard it is to raise a baby and we need to start saving for our baby. I’m sorry, Dad.”
Although the reasons were different, their answers were the same. Christy, Matt and Eric were not going to support their parents in their old age. They advised Fred to get a job instead of staying at home.
Frustrated and feeling pressure from all sides, old Fred went out the next day to look for a job. But to his dismay, the supermarket where he worked would not hire him again.
“We’re very sorry, Mr Wilson,” the manager said to Fred. “We asked you to remain in your position, but you insisted on retiring. I’m sorry, but that position has already been filled. We have no further vacancies at this time.”
For the first time in his life, Fred felt depressed and disappointed. He returned home and told the bad news to Emma, who was furious that he had left his job.
“It’s all your fault!” – she replied. “Who asked you to quit your job? I don’t care what you do, but I want you to get a job and start earning money again.”
Exhausted, Fred nodded. He wanted to cry, but he did not want to show his pain. The next day he found a job and got a job at a local welding factory.
“But you’re a bit old to be working with machines,” the recruiter said as he looked at Fred. “We don’t hire old people, although your situation makes me rethink that.”
Fred looked at the man with tears in his eyes and begged him to give him a job. “I may be old, but I am still strong. Please give me this job. If I go home without a job, I will lose what little dignity I have left.”
Encouraged by Fred’s determination and willpower, the man eventually hired Fred. Fred started the job and worked at it for just over two months. He brought in a good sum of money, which pleased Emma and her children. But who knew it would soon cost him his life?
That afternoon Emma got a call from Fred’s factory. “I’m very sorry, Mrs Wilson. We did everything we could, but Mr Wilson died on the way to the hospital.”
Emma was surprised and immediately informed her children. It turned out that a few hours after arriving at the factory Fred had suffered a severe heart attack while working on the machine. He collapsed holding his chest and was rushed to hospital, but never recovered.
Fred died working hard for his bread, even though he had three children and a family who never cared for him.
On the day of Fred’s funeral, his wife and children crowded around him, mourning the irreparable loss. “Oh Fred, I’ve been such a bad wife,” cried Emma, “I shouldn’t have made you do anything you didn’t want to do!”
“Dad, please give me another chance. I can reclaim my house and my car, but I can’t reclaim you,” Matt shouted. “Daddy, please come back. Please forgive me. I’m sorry for making you work instead of taking care of you.”
“Daddy, I’ll never find a father as wonderful as you, no matter how far away I go. Please come back. I’m begging you!” Christy sobbed.
“Daddy, why did you leave us? We were never good children to you. We forgot all your sacrifices and hard work. We saw you as a machine that made money. Come back!” – Eric shouted.
But it was too late. No matter how much they cried and called for old Fred to give them this ‘chance’ to right their wrongs, it was not happening. Fred was gone.
Rest in peace, Fred.
