A bitter cup

One of the most unpleasant things that we can find in life is to witness directly just how much resentfulness and bitterness a human heart can contain. It invariably spills out and contaminates the good and wonderful atmosphere about it. It causes confusion, sorrow and disappointment and sadly this week it fell into our lives.
Hitomi and I took the angels to see her Mother. We were made very welcome and she had us sit while she listened to our news of home and work as she prepared refreshments. She found a delicious strawberry gateau, which the children loved and so did I to be honest.
As I've said before, the angels no longer refer to Hitomi as 'auntie' but we are all quite comfortable with the angels referring to her as 'Mama' too. Naturally Sumomo asked Hitomi's Mother if they should call her grandmother to which she smiles and nodded eagerly, "Yes, I am Grandmother."
Thy both hugged grandmother and Hitomi reached over and squeezed my hand.
A little later, Hitomi's father arrived home. When he entered the room we greeted him and the children, a little over zealously, ran to him and welcomed him home. He looked down at them and told them he was not their grandfather. He greeted his wife, he nodded to Hitomi and ignoring me he walked through into the other room.
Hitomi followed him into the other room and closed the door but unfortunately we could hear them still.
She did not apologize for speaking out but she shouted at him that was very hurt by his words and his actions. If she had married a man, she said, who had children he would have accepted them without question. She went on further to say that she was gay and that if he could not accept that and that she had found love and a family then she would stay away.
At this point I was extremely embarrassed and I stood and motioned for my children to come to me. I bowed low to Hitomi's mother and thanked her for her gracious welcome of us into her home but I apologized for the trouble we had caused. I told the children to go put on their shoes and stand outside. Hitomi's Mother was close to tears I know. She was shaking her head and apologizing but she didn't have the words. I really felt sorry for her.
I put on my shoes and walked out and we all sat in the car.
After five or ten minutes passed Hitomi appeared and hugged her Mother by the open door. She came to us in tears and sat in the car. She said sorry to me and the children. The children were very concerned about her as indeed I was, I held her hand but I knew she couldn't talk at that time.
We drove home and picked up some ice cream on the way.
Later she told the angels that they will see Grandmother again but not at her house. Grandmother will come here and visit with them. Even at their young and tender age they accepted what she said and did not raise the question of whether they had or not another Grandfather.
She went to the bedroom and phoned her sister and then she came out and smiled for us.
The episode has passed and we understand that sadness or resentment on our part will not change what is. Resentment is like drinking a cup of bitter poison and waiting for the other to die.