Margaret Alice Van Wyk née Puth

*
Mother says she needed therapy to forgive
grandma Alice for all that she did, I nodded
sagely, I could see what she meant, when I
was ill, grandma paid my savings account

When dad left and I was alone in mother’s
home, I went to grandma for meals and we
visited the library, when dad was ill grand-
ma nursed him till he was well

When I got a job, grandma came and took
care of me, washed and cleaned, prepared
meals, brought a radio and TV, when I had
a boyfriend, grandma was my chaperone

When hubby took over from grandma to
take care of me, she called him an angel,
thanked him profusely, mother suspicious
because he rejected her theories

I can see mother needed to forgive a lot,
when I was ill Mother had to leave me at
night for mission work, living her own life
following her own star

Blaming grandma for the fact that she married
dad and for not loving Mother’s five kids enough
Mother was too angry with dad to love them
herself, besides, Mother says

It was never enough, grandma stole to help my
uncle take care of his wife, Mother says grandma
Alice was bad and her legacy is indictment for sin
she cannot forgive Grandma

For being a martyr and slave when she should
have known nothing can redeem her in Mother’s
eyes, she should have done penance in another
way, not keep the household afloat

It was held against her also…
*