My mother was silently crying.
“Daniel had three daughters. His wife was seriously ill. After the funeral, I visited their home. Little Jessica looked at me and asked when her daddy was coming back.”
My father began to cry.
“I couldn’t answer her.”
I was still trying to understand.
“But why were you paying Mom to keep quiet?”
My mother finally stepped closer.
“Because I was the one who delivered that money to their family every month.”
I stared at her in disbelief.
“You knew about everything?”
She nodded.
“Yes. We decided together to help them. But Robert had one condition. Nobody could ever know where the money came from.”
My father continued.
“Daniel was a proud man. I knew his family would never accept charity. So we sent the money anonymously through a foundation.”
“For thirty years?”
“Yes. At first, it was for food and clothing. Then for school. Later, for university. And when their mother became ill, we helped pay for her medical treatment.”