“Dad, I Want to Go Home”: I Was Evicted from My Apartment to Rent a Room
A story that makes you cry. A daughter’s betrayal and salvation when there is almost no hope.
Víctor Manuel stood on the balcony of an old five-story building in Madrid, smoking nervously. His hands were shaking, his heart was pounding as if it was about to jump out of his chest.
Who would have thought that, at the age of 72, he would become a burden to everyone? And not long ago, he had a home, a family, a loving wife…
“Dad, again?” Marisol, his only daughter, interrupted. “We only asked you one thing: to stay in your room. Pepe and Antonio are grown up now and sleep on the sofa bed. It’s not comfortable at all!”
“Marisoles…” Víctor muttered. “Why do you have to spend your last days in a nursing home?” If there is no room, rent a house or go to your mother-in-law’s. I’m not redundant here…
“Thank you, Father, you’ve made it clear,” Marisol slammed the door and left, leaving behind the smell of perfume and a bitter aftertaste.
Víctor sank into the armchair, stroking the old dog Canelo, and suddenly felt tears welling up in his eyes. He hadn’t cried in years, but now he couldn’t stop crying. Five years without Nadia… They had lived together for forty years, hand in hand, and he never believed that his daughter, Marisol, could become like this…
They had raised her with love and care. They had wished her all the best. But she grew up cold and calculating.
“Grandpa, don’t you love Pepe and me?” Eight-year-old Antonio ran in. “Mom says you’re selfish because you won’t give us your room!”
“Little boy, who told you that…” Víctor’s voice choked.
He understood that his daughter had turned the children against him. The old man took a deep breath and forced himself to say,
“Okay. This room will be yours…”
Marisol appeared, beaming.
“Dad, really?! Thank you! I’ve talked to a wonderful, friendly nursing home that has medical care. And we won’t abandon Canelo, I promise!”
Only two days had passed. And there he was, Víctor Manuel, in a cheap nursing home on the outskirts of Toledo. The house smelled of mold, the walls were peeling, and the eyes of the others were sad. There was none of the “care” or “comfort” his daughter had promised. Just a forgotten place for forgotten people.
“New here?” asked the woman in the bed next to him. “My name is Carmen. Did your family bring you here too?”
“Yes,” Víctor nodded. “My daughter. I want my own room.”
“They wouldn’t let me stay.” I left my apartment to my nephew… and he brought me here with my things. At least I wouldn’t have to live on the streets.
They talked, reminisced, missed their loved ones. Over time, Carmen became the only light in Víctor’s life. They walked through the deserted courtyard, sunbathing hand in hand, like two young women in their twenties.
His daughter didn’t come home. She didn’t even answer the phone. Víctor just wanted to know: what happened to Canelo? Was he still alive?
One day, while walking in the garden, he ran into an old neighbor, Eusebio.
“Víctor Manuel! But Marisol said you went to the village! You took Canelo with you, didn’t you?”
“What are you talking about?” Víctor’s voice trembled. “What happened to the dog?”
“She threw it out on the street. I picked it up and gave it to some good people. A wonderful dog.” But she… they say she rented an apartment. She lives with her husband at her mother-in-law’s house. What’s wrong with her, Víctor Manuel? How could she…?
Víctor covered his face and whispered, chokingly:
“Son… I want to go home…”
“You’re not alone. I’m a lawyer. I’ll help you. Tell me, have you given up your assets?”
“No. But she has connections… she could…”
“Then get ready. We’ll fix it!”
Before leaving, Víctor peeked into Carmen’s room:
“Carmencita, don’t cry. I’ll come back. And for you too. I promise.”
“Why do you want me, old lady…?” she whispered.
“Don’t talk nonsense. I need you.”
When he arrived with the lawyer at the apartment, they found a new lock. Eusebio acted. They discovered that Marisol had rented it, hoping her father would disappear forever. But the papers she filed were invalid. The judge gave her back her rights. The law was on her side.
“Thank you, son… But I’m scared. What else could she do?”
“By selling the apartment, you could give her her share. With the rest, you can buy a small house in town. Quiet, at peace. No one will bother you anymore.”
A few months later, Víctor Manuel and Canelo moved into a small wooden house with a garden. Soon, Carmen joined them, and together they found the peace they had longed for.
