Roger and his daughter

The past couple of weeks we have been busy, going to Val D'Azun on the weekends again and trying to see Roger in the weekdays. However, after last week's visit, Roger has yet again been admitted back into the hospital and this time the doctor says that Roger won't be able to go back home. His state of mind has deteriorated very quickly, he is more than forgetful; though he still recognises us. But it is no longer safe for Roger to live at home on his own with the aide coming to cook and clean for him twice a day.

Everything is happening so fast. Just 10 days ago, he was still able to walk down his street. When we saw him last week, he was feeling very down as the medicine was giving him the shakes; so feeding himself was annoying him as his hand would shake so badly. He refused to eat very much because of that.

Roger has been divorced for over 20 years. He has a daughter Delphine and his ex wife has since remarried with her own family. What has been irking me is this - Delphine had to be TOLD to come to Tarbes to visit her dad. She works and lives in Toulouse and says the commute is too far (1.5 hours away) to come to Tarbes every weekend. Her aunt had to put her foot down and tell Delphine to grow up and that her dad is very very ill and wants to see her. In the past 6 months, when time is running out so fast, she has been to visit 3- 4 times. Even then she would arrive at Roger's and then leave for a walk in town without her cell phone for the whole day, coming back only in time for dinner. She expected dinner to be ready when she came back. When anyone would try to advise her that she should visit more, she comes up with excuses like she has a soccer game or was too tired or she wanted to sleep in the weekend. The worst thing she said to her aunt, the neighbours and anyone else who would listen was that Roger is her ADOPTIVE dad, not her real dad; so she does not need to be here with him. Roger and his wife adopted Delphine yes, but they adopted her when she was 4 months old! It is so sad that she would abandon her dad when he needs her the most. Roger makes excuses for her, saying that she doesn't understand that he is very ill and he still speaks to her like she is his little girl, not the 35 year old woman she is.

Well, if she doesn't understand that Roger is ill and doesn't have much time, why then did she try to take Roger's car last weekend when she knew Roger was not home and was in the hospital? She didn't even visit Roger. She just called the neigbours to open the gate to Roger's house so that she could take the car. The neighbour refused to do so. Then she called my mother in law to open the gate for her. She told my MIL that Roger no longer has the need for the car so she wants to take it. My MIL refused to open the gate and told her to call her aunt who also refused. This went on all weekend, as she was in Tarbes trying to get into Roger's house to get her hands on Roger's car. She went around to my MIL's house. She waited outside Roger's house, hoping someone with a key would happen to "pop by". The neighbours were on the phone with her aunt and my MIL regarding her antics.

Last night my MIL came over for dinner and told us Delphine wants access into her father's bank accounts...! The gall of this girl. I am speechless.

In France parents cannot disinherit their children. It is against the law. As Delphine is the only child of Roger I suppose she would inherit everything from Roger. But Roger is still here with us. And she is acting like he is gone and she has every right to barge in and take his possessions. Its sad for Roger that he is going to leave knowing the child that he has brought up with love has turned into such a monster. He may be forgetful but he knows what is going on - his sister has told him. He should be able to live out his days in peace instead of constantly wondering why his own child would turn out this way.