Quote by Frank McCourt
Actually, my mother and Alfie came for three weeks' Christmas vacation and stayed for 21 years. I guess my mother never went back because she was lonely.
Summary
This quote suggests that the speaker's mother and Alfie originally planned to spend a short Christmas vacation but ended up staying for a much longer period of 21 years. The reason for this extended stay is attributed to the mother's loneliness. It implies that she found companionship or a sense of belonging in this new place and decided not to return to her previous life.