When Beatrice got pregnant at 16, her grandparents kicked her out of the house. She turned to her boyfriend, John, and knew nothing about her family for years. However, when John starred in a famous ad, her grandparents appeared again, and Beatrice made a shocking choice.
“I can’t believe you would be so stupid, Beatrice!” Jim yelled at his granddaughter, Beatrice, who had just revealed the news of her pregnancy. Her grandmother, Gabriela, started crying from the couch while Jim and the young girl faced off in front of the television.
“I didn’t plan this, Grandpa!”
“Of course, you didn’t! You are too young to be having sex, and yet you did! Now this is the consequence!” Grandpa Jim continued screaming.
“Ok, I admit it was my fault, and John’s too. But it’s done. I have to face this now,” Beatrice expressed.
“Ok, I admit it was my fault, and John’s too. But it’s done. I have to face this now,” Beatrice expressed.
“You will get an abortion immediately!” Jim demanded, and Gabriela gasped.
“Jim! That’s awful! She can’t do that!” she yelled at her husband.
“What else is she supposed to do? She has no education. She’s 16 for God’s sake! We can’t raise a baby at our age. You want that on our shoulders?” Jim reasoned with his wife, who had always been appalled at the idea of abortion.
Well…,” the older woman hedged.
“Grandma, I will not get rid of this baby no matter what. I’m having it. John is on board, and we are going to get through this. But I really want your support,” Beatrice pleaded with her grandparents.
“Oh, so you’ve already decided what’s going to happen. Is that right? Well, young lady, it’s time to face the music. You can’t live in this house anymore. I will not have the shame of having a teenage mom under my roof!” Jim bellowed.
“JIM!” his wife exclaimed in shock.
But Beatrice looked directly at her grandfather’s face and couldn’t believe the sweet man she had always known and loved would do something like this. When she lost her parents at five years old, they had stepped up and raised her with all the support in the world. After discovering her pregnancy, Beatrice was sure they would continue to be there for her.
But she was wrong, and her grandfather was right. She had to leave. “Fine,” she responded and went to her room, packed a few of her things, and returned to the living room. “I’ll be back for the rest of my stuff later.”
“Where will you go?” Grandma Gabriela asked in concern. Beatrice knew that her grandmother was worried about everything, but she would never go against her husband.
“Why now? i’ve been trying for years, grandma.”
“I don’t know. But I’ll get through this, and you’ll come to regret this day,” the young girl answered, walking towards the front door.
NEVER!” her grandfather bellowed again, and she shook her head at him. His pride was too great, and he would never admit that was he was doing was wrong.
Beatrice opened the door and walked away from her grandparents forever. Luckily, John and his parents received her with open arms, as they would all work hard for this baby. But the young girl hoped every single day that her grandparents would calm down, let steam off, and realize that having a child was a blessing.
She might be young, but the moment she saw her positive test, she grew up in an instant. She was ready to be the best mother in the world even if she struggled and was sure that her grandparents would eventually want to meet their great-grandchild.
She was wrong.
Raising a baby at 16 was hard, but Beatrice and John made it happen. They had a son named Walter, and John’s parents, Sylvia and Marlon, were the best grandparents in the world. Sylvia watched the baby while the kids went to school.
Soon Beatrice and John got into great universities in Washington D.C., got married, and lived at John’s parents’ home until they graduated from college. As soon as they landed decent jobs, they rented their first apartment nearby and began their lives.
A few years later, John became a well-established entrepreneur with several franchised restaurants. Meanwhile, Beatrice became a school teacher determined to inspire her students. Walter was then ten years old, and he had never known anything but love and tenderness from his family.
Unfortunately, Beatrice had not heard from her grandparents in all that time. She had tried calling them several times, but they both hung up when they realized it was her.
One time, Jim even yelled, “We’re not giving you money!” Her grandparents were not aware that John was so successful so her calls always ended before she could tell them she didn’t need their money.
But Beatrice knew it was the other way around. She had heard from a few neighbors who always kept tabs on the old folks that Jim got into some trouble involving his penchant for poker games. They had lost a considerable amount of their savings due to his gambling debts, and all they had was their house now.
Beatrice wanted to help them, despite how they turned her away all those years. She wasn’t like them. She wanted them back in her life. She wanted them to meet Walter and love him. He was such a fantastic kid who adored his family.
They all could benefit from that love. But Jim’s pride once again got in his way, and Grandma Gabriela wouldn’t budge either, although Beatrice knew she was probably curious about her life. It was such a saddening situation.
“I can’t believe they are so stubborn,” Beatrice told her husband one night while they were getting ready for bed.
“I know, dear. But what did you expect? Ten years of no communication. Even I didn’t believe they would be so obstinate,” John responded. He got into bed, kissing her, and fell asleep.
Beatrice stayed up a little longer, partially reading her book and somewhat thinking of ways she could approach her grandparents. But she didn’t come up with anything and went to sleep that night.
A few days later, John told his family he would be in an advertisement for the company, and Walter thought it was so cool. “Dad, you’re going to be a celebrity!” the young boy said and smiled.
Beatrice was proud of how far John got and the amazing father he had become. Most teenage boys would be tempted to walk away from the responsibility of being a father, but John had been by her side through everything. She had no idea what she would do without him and finally decided that he, Walter, Sylvia, and Marlon were more than enough family for her.
Having her grandparents would be fantastic, but they made it clear that she was no longer part of their lives. She was done with them. At last.
***
A few months later, John’s advertisement had been circulating all over the country, and everyone knew his face. Beatrice and Walter were so proud of his success, and he was about to open a few more restaurants in Maryland and Virginia..
People also knew that Beatrice was his wife, and they greeted her every day. That usually happens when people find out you have money and connections. They all want a piece of that pie.
Meanwhile, Jim and Gabriela decided it was time to reach out and called to meet Beatrice.
“Honey, it’s been so long. We have to put everything in the past and meet each other,” Grandma Gabriela said on the phone.
Beatrice was suspicious. “Why now? I’ve been trying for years, Grandma.”
Well, I don’t know. I guess we’re getting old, and we want to meet our great-grandson. Please, would you meet us for coffee?”
“Grandpa Jim wants to come too?”
“Of course! He is excited about your kid too.”
“Fine. Let’s meet tomorrow.”
That night, John advised her to be careful. “I’m sure they want something from us right now. Money probably, with their money troubles. I wouldn’t trust them so easily, so I don’t think you should take Walter with you,” he stated.
Beatrice agreed and went on her own. They were already waiting for her at the café when she got there and greeted her with great big smiles that made her even more suspicious of their intentions. For God’s sake, the last they saw me, they kicked me out when I needed them most. How can they act so happy now? she thought and forced a smile.
“Dear! How are you? You look amazing! What do you want to drink?” Gabriela asked with a cheerful voice.
Grandpa Jim was more subdued but still so warm. “Hey, Beatrice. I’ve missed you.”
They were acting like the grandparents she knew before she got pregnant, and it was such a bittersweet moment. Beatrice sat down at their table, and they started firing questions at her about Walter, her life, and, lastly, John.
“Oh, we recently saw him in a commercial. Isn’t that exciting? He’s the face of that franchise, and he owns it right?” Gabriela asked with a huge smile that Beatrice couldn’t help but be cynical about.
“Yes, we own it. We’re married. We built it, although I’m working as a teacher,” she responded.
“That’s great, Beatrice. Being a teacher is the most noble profession in the world,” Grandpa Jim added, looking at her with his warm eyes.
Ok, guys. I’m done. Let’s cut to the chase. I’ve been trying to communicate with you for ages. I wanted you to meet Walter, and you always hung up on me. So why did you call me now?” Beatrice expressed, crossing her arms and showing them a no-nonsense attitude.
Jim locked his jaw and looked like he wanted to yell. Finally, that was a face Beatrice recognized, but Gabriela shut her mouth and breathed deeply before speaking. “Dear, we only wanted to see you
No, you didn’t. Now, I need the truth or I’m leaving,” Beatrice demanded.
“Fine,” Jim started. “We need your help.”
“Why would I help you?”
“Beatrice! Don’t talk back like that,” Gabriela interjected.
“Grandma, please. I’m not a child. I’ll speak however I want. Now, what do you need from me and why would I help you?”
“I don’t know if you know that we got into some debt over the years, and we were wondering if you could help us out,” Jim finished with a tight jaw. Beatrice knew it was hard for him and his pride to ask for such a favor.
“Ok, I know you have money troubles. Why should I care? I mean… you threw me out when I needed you the most. Why shouldn’t I abandon you like you did me?” Beatrice said, her arms still crossed and her face impervious..
Please, sweetie. We could lose everything,” Gabriela begged.
Beatrice looked thoughtfully at them and made a decision. “How much?”
They gave her a significant number, and she told them she would have to think about it. They both nodded, and Beatrice left the coffee shop with a heavy heart.
She knew John would tell her to follow her heart. They could undoubtedly afford what they were asking for, but she didn’t know if it was right. Therefore, she did the only thing she could think of and called Sylvia.
After explaining everything, the older woman gave her the sound advice she needed. “Honey, what would you have wanted from them ten years ago? You needed help, begged them, and they said no. Now you’re facing that same dilemma. Do you want to be like them? Turn them away in their time of need? I don’t think that’s you. But you have to make this decision.”
Thanks to that call, Beatrice knew the right thing to do was to give them the money. She called them, asked for their banking information, and wired it quickly.
“Thank you so much, honey! This is amazing!” Gabriela gushed over the phone.
But Grandma, this is the last time you’ll hear from me. I’m not going to be back in your lives. I’m doing this because I would’ve wanted the same from you guys when I needed it. And you did take me in when my parents died. But I can’t forgive the past ten years, and you don’t deserve to meet Walter. Goodbye and good luck,” Beatrice voiced and hung up the phone.
She never spoke to them again and moved on happily with her genuine, loving family, who would jump through fire for her.
What can we learn from this story?
You don’t have to forgive and forget to do the right thing. Beatrice needed to let go of her anger to give her grandparents money. But she didn’t forgive them or forget what they did either. She just did the right thing.
Don’t do something you might regret. Although they never said it, Beatrice’s grandparents came to regret their actions. But karma got to them, and they would have to live with that for the rest of their lives.
