What does duty really mean? - Giu

Giu is an elderly gentleman in his eighties caring for his even older mother, who is nearly one hundred years old, at home.

Giu is the only living child, unmarried, and lives with his mother. He has done so his entire life.

He struggles to care for her. She is prone to falls.

Although he is retired and often at home, picking her up from the ground each time she falls has worsened Giu's physical aches and pains. His back screams. His knees protest. Some days, he wonders if he'll be able to get her up at all.

His mother has expressed that she does not wish to go to a nursing home. In their culture, elders are cared for at home. It would be a disgrace to send her away. What would people say?

When Giu explained to her that he was also old and in need of care, his mother dismissed him.

"I am older than you!" she said. "You're still young compared to me."
As her son, he was responsible for caring for her until her passing. That was his duty. That was what good sons do.

Giu had heard this all his life.

Giu sits in his chair at night, body aching, thinking:
He’s elderly… and getting frail.
And he is still the child expected to serve.