A man has been spreading rumours around the village, claiming hes a frail, lonely old pensioner, demanding social assistance just like those villagers who have spent their lives alone or have no children. He does have a son, who lives not far away.
Everyone here knows how it went: a man in his thirties fell for a woman in her sixties. She promised to leave him her countryside cottage and her flat in London. Without a second thought, he abandoned his elderly father and married her. The old man and his tales have even made it into the local paper, so now everyone is quite certain they know what really happened.
But honestly, is it really such a scandal? Everyone knows the truth. The son is married, that much is clear. He and his wife both work at the same shop in town. Shes even a bit younger than him, and together they have both the cottage in the country and a nice flat. Its just that the old man never liked her because she couldn’t have children.
At first, he was thrilled with his daughter-in-law, imagining the whole family living together under one roof. But the years passed, and still no grandchildren appeared. His son would make excuses, saying it wasnt the right time, that children would come later. Then one day, his daughter-in-law brought home a three-year-old boyher own nephew. Her younger sister had died from meningitis and left the boy behind.
A strangers child? You havent even had a child of your own yet, and you bring home someone elses! the old man shouted furiously.
That was when the young couple had to admit the truth: the woman was unable to have children. There was a chance of treatment, but it was expensive, and fate had now given them her sisters child to love and care for.
Afterwards, the old man drove them out of his house and started spinning stories about his son running off with an older mistressall to save face, unable to admit that hed taken in a daughter-in-law who couldnt have children, and that there would never be grandchildren to carry on his familys name.
