A doctor was called for an emergency at the hospital and didn’t have anyone to leave her three kids with, but suddenly, she saw the garbageman and got an idea. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she returned home.
“Now? Are you sure Dr. Morris is not available?” I asked Nurse Carey on the phone, although I was already changing my clothes and thinking hard.
“No, Dr. Sanders. Dr. Morris is currently driving across state lines trying to get here. You live close by, so I thought I would call. The interns have no idea what they’re doing. I know it’s your day off, but I didn’t know what else to do. Will you be able to come?” Nurse Carey said, trying not to sound worried, but I knew they needed me.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I just need to find a babysitter,” I replied and hung up, immediately dialing Vicky, who was the only person who could somewhat handle my three crazy kids.
I’ve been a surgeon for a long time, but I used to have my husband, Peter. My rock. He became a stay-at-home dad when the realities of having three children became too much. But he passed away from a sudden heart attack while I was in the middle of another surgery.
My entire house… wait, was this my house? It couldn’t be.
Now, I had to constantly find babysitters for the children when unexpected emergencies happened. I couldn’t handle them. I had no patience, and it was silly to think that any babysitter would be able to handle them either. Two babysitters quit after one day of work, and word got around that my kids Johnny, 9, Christie, 7, and Lucy, 3, were menaces.
I mean… they were not wrong. But they didn’t have to put me in this position. Now, only Vicky ever said yes. Usually, I paid through the roof for the local daycare center when I was scheduled regularly at work, but I couldn’t rush them in today. It was already noon on a Friday, and I would feel bad sending them.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I’m sorry, Opal. I can’t babysit today. I’m sick and can barely move,” Vicky said when I called. I told her to get some rest and hung up the phone. I hated the staff at the hospital daycare, and they hated me in return. But I was out of ideas. I would have to wrangle with my children and go there.
But suddenly, I heard all the kids yelling, “Uncle Bob! Uncle Bob!”
I sighed. They didn’t have an uncle. The local garbageman was so friendly and sweet that they started calling him uncle as soon as they could speak. I had known him for over ten years, and my kids adored him.
Johnny opened the front door, and all my babies went outside to greet him. I might have to call the hospital, I thought. I was never going to get those kids back into the house to be dressed on time.
But I did smile at the sight of them playing with Bob. My kids had turned into devils when their father died. The therapist said it was normal and would pass, but I wasn’t so sure. I felt like a failure. Like my mothering instincts were faulty or something. I didn’t know what to do.
But as I watched the kids hug and ask Uncle Bob to play, I had an idea. “That’s it,” I told myself and ran to Bob.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Bob, I have a crazy request. I know you’re busy. But I was wondering if you would babysit my kids for 25 minutes. I have to check something urgent at the hospital, and I have no one else,” I begged, and my kids looked at me with wide eyes filled with happiness.
“Sure, Dr. Sanders. I can watch them for a while,” he replied, nodding and smiling. My children jumped and cheered.
“They’re more than a handful, though. I’m warning you,” I said sheepishly.
“Don’t worry. You go ahead. Your job is important,” he told me, and I ran off, hoping my house would not be entirely destroyed by the time I returned.
The situation took more than 25 minutes, as Dr. Morris got stuck in traffic, and the patient became even more urgent. I was rushed into an operating room, and I couldn’t get away until three hours later. I felt so bad for Bob, who obviously had his own work to finish.
I drove home as quickly as I could. “Bob! Bob! I’m sorry!” I yelled breathlessly as I opened my door, but I froze.
My entire house… wait, was this my house? It couldn’t be. My house was always littered with toys, crayons, paper, and sometimes smears of peanut butter. I know. Gross. Don’t judge me.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Dr. Sanders, how was your surgery? Everything alright?” Bob asked as he appeared from the hallway.
“What happened here? My house… is unrecognizable. And why aren’t the kids screaming and running around?” I asked, so confused and shocked.
“Lucy is napping, and Christie and Johnny are in their rooms, reading,” he told me, and I swear, my jaw hit the floor.
“What? Are you kidding me?”
“No, go see.”
I had to go, and my eyes couldn’t believe it either. But Bob had told me the truth. “How did you do this?”
“Oh, Dr. Sanders. I was a single father raising kids once. Mine were ten times worse than these three angels,” Bob laughed. “I taught them to pick up after themselves and narrated them fairy tales. Your kids ate that up. You might want to buy them more books.”
I nodded, starstruck. No one in my life had ever called my kids “angels,” and they had never been interested in the few books I got. “I can’t believe it,” I whispered.
“It was easy. But now I have to go,” Bob said, picking up his work jacket from the back of a chair.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pe
“Oh, yes. I’m so sorry about being late. I’m so embarrassed,” I said, touching my forehead. “I’ll pay you triple for that.”
“No. No. I don’t need money,” Bob shook his head, raising his hands.
“Please. For your time,” I insisted with my stern look. People at the hospital were afraid of that look, so I knew Bob would not be able to reject the money.
“Ok, I’ll treat the kids to something nice,” he laughed. “Goodbye, Dr. Sanders. Have a nice day!”
“Thank you!” I yelled out, exhausted.
***
My kids behaved for the rest of the day, and I almost cried. It was the best day ever.
So, I called Bob and offered him a full-time nanny job, tripling his current salary and adding more health benefits since I had connections at the hospital. He accepted in the end, and I was so thankful that I gave him a Christmas bonus and plane tickets to his family could visit Disneyland in California later that year.
Woman Insists Her Son Leaves His Pregnant Wife at Home for Her Birthday, but He Responds, ‘My Wife Comes First’
Woman Insists Her Son Leaves His Pregnant Wife at Home for Her Birthday, but He Responds, ‘My Wife Comes First’
A man felt he had to take his wife’s side regarding a family dispute. However, his mother became angry at him for doing so, so he turned to the internet to find out if he was right.
Pregnant woman holding her lower back | Source: Shutterstock
A man took to Reddit for advice regarding his pregnant wife and his mother’s birthday. He explained that it was his mother’s birthday at the same time that his seven-month-pregnant wife was feeling uncomfortable and particularly sensitive.
The man offered to take his mother to dinner for her birthday, and she picked a place that was a 40-minute drive away. The man told his mother he didn’t want to travel that far as his wife was uncomfortable traveling long distances in a car.
Pregnant woman holding her stomach in a car | Source: Shutterstock
He also explained to his mother that his wife could eat little on the menu because it was a seafood restaurant, and his wife couldn’t eat shellfish. He then asked his mother if she would choose a nearby restaurant.
The man’s mother refused, saying the only good seafood restaurants were farther away. The man then suggested that his mother choose a different cuisine, noting that they had Mexican and Hibachi near them, which he knew his mother loved.
A seafood platter | Source: Shutterstock
The man’s mother became angry and told him his wife could stay home while they went to dinner. She found it startling that a grown woman couldn’t stay home alone for a few hours while her husband went to dinner.
After telling his mother that his wife wouldn’t be pregnant forever and asking her to work with them, his mother told him to forget about it and yelled that her birthday was not about his wife. The man responded, “My wife comes first.”
Frustrated man on the phone | Source: Shutterstock
The man also accused his mother of being selfish and childish, so she hung up the phone. This led to the man’s family telling him he was wrong and his wife crying because the whole family was upset with her for ruining her mother-in-law’s birthday.
The man asked netizens whether or not he was justified in standing up for his wife and asking his mom to change her birthday plans. He received many mixed responses from fellow Reddit users.
Angry older woman on the phone | Source: Shutterstock
One user told the man he was justified in his reaction, and they were glad he was standing up for his wife. They then asked if his mother often acted this way toward his wife, to which he responded in the affirmative. The man also said that his mother’s fiancée had taken her to the restaurant, which he found was enabling her bad behavior.
Another netizen told the man he was wrong for making it seem like the situation was his wife’s fault and said they would not have stopped their husband from going somewhere they didn’t want to go when they were pregnant. The person also noted that their husband wouldn’t have blamed it on them if he didn’t want to go somewhere.
A pregnant woman crying | Source: Shutterstock
One opinion was that the man should have told his mother he was sorry he would miss the event and let his mother feel however she felt. The person suggested offering coffee and cake at home instead of going out for dinner.
Some netizens were confused by the post, wondering why the man’s wife factored into his mother’s birthday as he didn’t say they were both treating his mother to a birthday dinner. They asked whether or not his wife didn’t want him to go anywhere while she was pregnant.
A couple eating dinner at a seafood restaurant | Source: Shutterstock
One more person said the man was wrong for inadvertently making his wife take the blame for the situation. The person clarified that they didn’t think the mother’s fiancée taking her to the restaurant was enabling but supportive.
The person also said that the man and his wife had the option of going to the restaurant and not ordering seafood, as they had often gone to seafood restaurants despite not eating seafood and had never struggled to find something on the menu that they wanted to eat.
A cup of coffee next to a slice of chocolate cake | Source: Shutterstock
The person ended their comment by saying that their judgment of the entire situation would be different if the man’s wife had a deadly allergy to seafood. The man received many other supportive comments, telling him he was right for standing up for his wife and his unborn child despite his mother’s adverse reaction.
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