Whitaker Scarlett still prepaid 200 dollars for medical expenses.
Although Grandma Johnson wasn’t a particularly warm person, it was already difficult to find a rental in this era. Where could they find such a suitable house?
Whitaker Scarlett was quite tolerant of the lonely old lady. She hoped Grandma Johnson would recover soon so that they could continue being landlords and tenants without interfering with each other!
Elizabeth was scared out of her wits.
She peeked out the door several times, restless.
Grandma Johnson had no family, and she had basically offended all her neighbors. Whitaker Scarlett had no idea who to notify. They could only stay there, and that night they dozed off in the hospital corridor. When they woke up in the morning, they felt stuffy in their noses.
After 7 o’clock, a doctor finally notified them:
“The condition has improved a bit. She has severe inflammation and will need to stay in the hospital for a few days. You can go handle the paperwork.”
Grandma Johnson truly woke up at 11 o’clock that noon. Whitaker Scarlett was guarding the bedside while Elizabeth went back to cook. When Grandma Johnson moved, Whitaker Scarlett immediately perked up:
“You’re awake? I’ll go call the doctor!”
Grandma Johnson hadn’t fully come to her senses yet, and Whitaker Scarlett dashed out of the ward like a gust of wind.
The patient in the next bed struck up a conversation with Grandma Johnson, “Auntie, is this your granddaughter? The young girl is pretty and filial; she stayed with you all night.”
Grandma Johnson, weak and still expressionless, shook her head stiffly:
“No.”
What does “no” mean? Grandma Johnson wouldn’t say another word.
The patient next door felt awkward; it was impossible to chat with someone like Grandma Johnson, as the conversation would easily die out!
…
On the third day of Grandma Johnson’s hospitalization, others finally found out.
The street cleaning work was managed by the neighborhood office, and the section Grandma Johnson was responsible for hadn’t been cleaned for three days. Naturally, the neighborhood office had to come looking for her. That’s when they learned she was hospitalized… Many people had their eyes on Grandma Johnson’s house. Even though she rented it to Whitaker Scarlett and her daughter, the official story was that distant relatives were borrowing a place to stay.
The neighborhood office staff sighed, “Fortunately, you distant relatives are here; otherwise, who would take care of this old lady?”
Naturally, they needed the neighborhood office to arrange for someone to take care of her.
But now it was fine; in name, this was Whitaker Scarlett and her daughter’s responsibility.
The Hughes family only learned the actual situation later. Hughes Lawrence’s wife thought Whitaker Scarlett had hit the jackpot: how long had they been living there, and Grandma Johnson fell ill? If Whitaker Scarlett hadn’t sent her to the hospital in time, Grandma Johnson would definitely have faced dire consequences this time.
The old lady did not interact with anyone while doing street cleaning work; the neighborhood office only paid her salary every month.
How could they notice in time whether she was working? It was quite dangerous for a lonely old lady to live alone.
How tough was Grandma Johnson? She knew she had diabetes and always sneaked off to the hospital for check-ups. She took her medicine at home without Whitaker Scarlett and her daughter knowing, and no one else who interacted with her was aware either.
Hughes Lawrence’s wife thought, now Grandma Johnson would have to change her attitude, right?
But no, she still maintained her stern demeanor, as if Whitaker Scarlett and Elizabeth hadn’t saved her that night. Even though the mother and daughter had been running around taking care of her in the hospital these days, she showed no gratitude— the Hughes family knew the truth; Whitaker Scarlett and her daughter weren’t distant relatives borrowing a place; they paid the 20 dollars rent every month and didn’t owe Grandma Johnson any favors.
But with Grandma Johnson’s attitude, what could they do?
Fortunately, Whitaker Scarlett wasn’t seeking repayment for her kindness; otherwise, it would have been infuriating.
On the day Grandma Johnson was discharged, she paid her own medical expenses.
The doctor thought Whitaker Scarlett and Elizabeth were family members and caught Elizabeth before discharge to remind her that a diabetic’s diet has restrictions, and she must take her medicine on time and in the right amounts to control her blood sugar. Elizabeth had to ask the doctor to repeat it several times before she remembered. After Grandma Johnson was discharged, Elizabeth, regardless of Grandma Johnson’s sour expression, monitored her diet every day like a hawk, greeting her with, “Have you taken your medicine today?” Someone like Grandma Johnson, who came from an old-money background, found Elizabeth completely speechless.
