Don’t simply retire from something - have something to retire to

“I'm retiring”

Maria dropped her fork and raised her lashes to George who was wiping the corners of his mouth clean from ketchup.

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“You are?” George shrugged his shoulders, he knew what she would say, how she would complain that she was the breadwinner of her extended family and didn't send them enough money for survival.

“But George….” He pushed his chair back, not ready to hear any of it.

“Maria, I'm of age. I turn 65 in two months. It's only natural that I begin to make plans for the future”. She rose with him as he stood from his chair, pushing her chair aside.

“George, this is not the right time. A lot is at stake here”.

There was a grim smile on his face as he turned back to her.

“Get used to it Maria.” He turned back to her ashen face upon reaching the door leading to the stairway “Before you began to complain about what you would stand to lose, you should have at least said congratulations”.

Maria chewed on her almost non-existent nails, a habit she had picked up from her mother when she was nervous. It had been two days since George broke to her over dinner that he was retiring in July. She couldn't tell if it was the news that had made her steps slower and her shoulders sag.

As she sat there, in the mortgage bank where she came to repay her loan, she reminisced on all the events that occurred within the last year.

She never knew the pandemic would come to shake her company from the foundation and as a result, cause them to lay her off along with ten other employees who had sown sweat and blood for the past five years.

She had gone back to serving as a housekeeper for the two Hyacinth mansions just opposite the town library. They paid her well enough, provided her with one meal, and ensured she was dropped off every day after work, but it still didn't make up for her monthly pay at the company.

It was George's salary that had saved her the embarrassment of not being able to send the monthly allowance to her two younger siblings who barely had enough to feed on daily. Her mother was in the hospital, to be placed on dialysis three times a week, she had to pay for all of that too.

She was called into the loan officer's office after a couple of minutes. George paid the mortgage on the house, the children's tuition, feeding, and the car maintenance fees. If he dropped work, how would they survive?

She wiped a stray tear that sought to betray her as she approached the office. Perhaps, she could speak with June to talk some sense into him.

“Hi, Mom”, June was her parent's favorite. Perhaps it was because she won two scholarships in a row from high school, or it was because of her undeniably attractive outlook; red curly hair, sea-green eyes that twinkled when she smiled, and olive skin.

“June”, Maria began

“Mom, what's wrong?”

“Your father is retiring. He has told you right?” June's sigh at the other end confirmed her suspicion.

“Mom, he doesn't have a choice. He'll be 65 in two months….”

“But what happens to us? How do we handle our financial lives?”

“Mom, I think you and Dad should have a conversation. Let him know how you really feel. Truly, he cannot help his retirement, but you guys can work something out. In the meantime, pull yourself together. Everything will be okay”.

God knew why he made June the first child, she was like a pillar to her mother and a comfort to her father. April and May were good children too, but June was the best. They just didn't say it out loud.

George lifted his eyes when Maria came up to him after dinner. She would have been in the kitchen, clearing up the dishes, especially since May was sick and her two older sisters were in college.

“Is it a good time to talk?”

George patted the space beside him, indicating that she could come over and take a seat.

“I'm worried now that you're retiring. It didn't cross my mind that you would do that soon.”

“Maria, I'm the head of this house. I see how hard everyone struggles to play their roles effectively and I acknowledge that. When I knew I needed to plan for retirement, I began making plans, saving,
setting up a pension account, and investing in a few asset classes. I knew we would need even more money.” Maria's eyes were watering already. “I don't want you to be worried Maria, we're going to survive this new phase. I got you covered baby”

With that reassurance, she allowed herself to fall into his arms and wept.