Photo: Sharomka | Shutterstock
He had no choice.
By Nia Tipton — Written on Nov 11, 2022
A man decided to take extreme measures after he was forced to watch his nephews while at work.
Posting to the subreddit 'AITA' (Am I The A-hole), a forum where users ask if they're in the wrong over disagreements that have been bothering them, the man explained how the incident ensued.
In his Reddit post, the man, 31, wrote that he's usually the person his brother, 36, calls to watch his young nephews, both under the age of 10.
He works a demanding job and can't always watch his nephews.
"[His brother] used to have babysitters but ever since he met his new girlfriend he stopped hiring any help because his girlfriend claimed that she wanted the kids to warm up to and get used to her as the only woman in their life," the man shared.
His brother is a widow, and while the man tries to help out when he can, it's difficult for him to balance everything, especially when he's at work.
A few days ago, his brother was going out to lunch with his girlfriend and asked the man to watch his two nephews while he was out.
"I told him I had to work but he begged me to take the day off. I refused and went to work."
However, the man's brother chose not to listen and instead dropped off the two young boys at his place of work.
"At 11a.m a coworker of mine entered the office and behind him were my nephews. I was flabbergasted he told me my brother dropped them off so they could stay with me," the man said.
The man decided to call the police out of frustration and fear that he would get in trouble with his boss.
He was left angered after his brother blatantly ignored his request to not watch his nephews while he was at work.
He explained that he couldn't even take time off because of how busy his workload was, and had no other choice but to call the police.
"[The police] got ahold of my brother and he was forced to come take them off me as well as get into trouble with the authorities who spent hours talking to him."
Even though the man had tried to solve the mess before his boss found out, it didn't work, and he was asked to leave the office early and go home.
His brother was furious at him for calling the police and started "screaming" at him over the phone.
"My brother called and started screaming at me calling me names of all sorts and saying that I not only ruined his meeting with his girlfriend and her friends but caused him to get in trouble with the police," he wrote.
The brother argued that he could've watched the children "for a couple [of] hours" or "took them home and took the rest of the day off."
The man's decision was defended by Reddit users, who agreed that he was NTA (Not The A-hole).
"Not your kids or responsibility. Widowed or not… he needs to be a father. Not to be harsh but just because his spouse died doesn’t mean his responsibilities did too," one user wrote.
A second user added, "Your brother abused your relationship and abandoned his children. Was he going to pay for your lost wages? He has nobody to blame but himself."
Another user chimed in, writing, "You were in no position to provide proper care. Your brother was negligent. This is on him. You did what was reasonably responsible."
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.