Anna Came by Every Other Day, Leaving Food and Water by the Bed Before Slipping Away

Emily visited her mother every other day. Shed leave food and water by the bed before slipping out.

Ive got a neighbour named Emily. Her mum had lived alone for years. Once, shed been a brilliant cookwhipping up meals and baking treats for the whole family, always sharing with the neighbours.

But Emily was ashamed of her. Her mother was just a simple country woman whod spent her life working the land. After her husband passed, she was left on her own. Emily rarely dropped by. And her mum started forgetting thingslittle things at first, then whole conversations, even talking nonsense sometimes.

One day, Emily walked in to a house thick with the stench of burning. Her mother had left the oven on.

“What on earth are you doing? Cant even heat up a meal without nearly burning the place down?” Emily shouted.
“Love, Im sorry! Its never happened before!” her mother pleaded.

As time went on, her health worsened. Walking became a struggle, even around the house. One day, she rang Emily, her voice shaky.
“Em, I dont feel rightmy blood pressures gone through the roof. Can you come?”
“What am I, a doctor? Call an ambulance!” Emily snapped, hanging up.

After that, her mother stopped leaving the house altogether. Emily had no choice but to visit weekly, hauling in the cheapest groceries, doing a half-hearted tidy, and taking out the binsall while fuming.
“I dont get it! You live alone, yet the place is a pigsty. Have you no shame?”

More often than not, shed slam the door on her way out. Eventually, her mother couldnt even get out of bed. Emily came by every other day, dropping off food and water without a word. Then, one day, she arrived to find her mother gone.

After the funeral, Emily started visiting the grave often, murmuring,
“Oh, how I miss my dear, precious mum! She was the kindest, most loving woman in the world!”

Funny, how she only remembered the good bits. Had she forgotten how shed neglected her? How shed refused to help, refused to care? How does that even work?