Grandma Martha and the Ups and Downs of Life: A Family Story: contos, #1

By Ricardo Almeida

In the saga of Martha and Kate, we are invited to delve deeply into the exciting and complex life of a grandmother and her granddaughter. The unwavering love between the elderly woman and her granddaughter, Kate, is the central point of this thrilling tale, revealing the challenges and joys of aging and maintaining family bonds.

Witness the moments of tension between the impetuous Ms. Martha and her devoted granddaughter as they together confront the challenges of life and aging. The skillfully woven narrative captures the desires, fears, and tender moments shared between the two strong souls, offering a profound insight into the complexity of family relationships.

As Ms. Martha confronts the loneliness and fears of aging, Kate is her rock, keeping her steady amidst the storms of life. However, unexpected secrets and revelations emerge, uncovering hidden family stories and bonds that have withstood the test of time.

Amidst revealed secrets, shared memories, and the constant pursuit of the joy of life, 'Bonds of Love and Wisdom' is a poignant story about the importance of family, forgiveness, and love that transcends generations. An engaging narrative that reminds us of the importance of preserving unity and affection, even when the world around us seems to be turned upside down.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ricardo Almeida
• Release date: Nov 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223177098

Book preview

Table of Contents

Grandma Martha and the Ups and Downs of Life: A Family Story (contos, #1)

Ms. Martha anxiously looked at her granddaughter.

The elderly woman's agitation was so strong that she involuntarily moved her hand, which

was wrapped in a blood pressure cuff.

However, the family doctor, with the sternus of a primary school teacher, noticed and said,

Grandma, I asked you to lie still, but your hands are twitching.

I'll have to measure again.

The patient made an expressive gesture that spoke volumes about her dissatisfaction.

Why waste time if everything is already clear?

She said with a voice that conveyed both despair and indignant.

But Kate was long accustomed to her grandmother's maneuvers.

Ignoring the old lady's size, she pumped up the cuff to the maximum once again.

Ms. Martha let out a small cry for appearance's sake, but didn't express her feelings and words.

She watched her granddaughter's actions, waiting for the verdict of doom, but Kate didn't

fulfill those expectations.

Grandma, they couldn't roll you in the astronaut team.

130 over 80 is the result of a well-trained athlete, and that's at your age of 80 with

a little extra.

The tone of her granddaughter didn't sit well with Ms. Martha, let alone the results

of the examination.

Pretending to be seriously ill, she changed her position from lying down to sitting.

The machine is lying, you can throw it away.

It's a shame mine broke at the wrong time.

It always showed the right readings.

I can feel by my condition that my pressure is skyrocketing, not less than 200.

Kate understood the intricacies of her grandmother's character perfectly well, and wasn't even

offended by the assessment of the imported device's capabilities.

Well, if you don't trust me, let me call an ambulance then.

In an instant, Ms. Martha's expression changed, and her large body expressed outrage.

With a bloodthirsty triumph in her voice, she declared,

There it is, the dog is buried.

I knew it, I felt it.

You and your mother want to send me to the hospital to finish me off for good.

Kate laughed.

Mama, hospitals are where people get treated, and you're telling such tales.

Our attempts to reason with you and mom's efforts are signs of caring, if anything.

You have no idea how much we love you.

The granddaughter hugged the woman tightly and kissed her deeply wrinkled cheek.

Ms. Martha was moved.

Such moments were the dearest thing to her in the whole world.

The weight of the years lived had left many wounds on the heart of the elderly lady, and

not all of them had fully healed yet.

That's why she longed for her family to pay more attention to her.

Today, too, closer to mourning, she felt uncomfortable in the presence of loneliness,

which seemed to lurk in every corner.

In those moments, she became very scared, which is why she called Kate.

But the young woman didn't reproach her relative for such an early phone call.

Remembering it now, Ms. Martha decided to apologize.

Kate, please forgive me for waking you up at 6 o'clock in the morning, but it seemed

to me that an old lady with a side was standing by the bed.

I understand that it's time to get ready, but I still want to live a little longer.

It's okay, grandma.

I have to be at work by 8 o'clock anyway, and I don't like your gloomy mood.

They say that as long as a person is alive, they should think about life.

I do try to think, but when I look in the mirror, I get scared.

Ms. Martha was clearly being flirtatious because she looked quite good for her age.

Despite her advanced years, the woman took care of herself and loved wearing new outfits.

Her daughter and granddaughter tried to fulfill her every desire, and Miranda, Kate's mother,

had offered many times for her to move into her spacious apartment.

But the stubborn grandmother categorically rejected such a possibility.

I've never lived in a communal apartment, and I want to die in my own flat.

Mr. Wilson and I earned these square meters with our hard work.

Ms. Martha loved using her own life as an example for others.

She would take any convenient opportunity to involve her interlocutor in her memories.

While Kate prepared breakfast in the kitchen, her grandmother didn't miss the chance to

engage in conversation.

If only you knew, granddaughter, how difficult those times were.

Hunger, devastation, instability, yet people walked around happy because they valued life.

Nowadays, money is valued more.

Kate entered the small living room with a tray in hand.

Everything's ready.

Let's have breakfast, or I really will be late for work.

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