Cooking for Everyone
“I’m not planning a big celebration for my milestone birthday, so I’m only inviting a few guests,” Grace explained to her son and daughter-in-law during dinner.
“And how many is that?” asked Tom, knowing his mother’s penchant for grand events.
“Definitely twenty-three people, and maybe a couple more,” answered the senior woman calmly.
“Wait a minute,” Liz said, piecing it all together. “So you’ve already invited everyone, which means you’re just letting us know now?”
“Well, I’m turning seventy, it’s my home, and I think I have the right to invite whomever I want,” Grace retorted. “Only children, grandchildren, and close siblings with their families will attend. I’m not inviting neighbors or distant relatives.”
“But why so much trouble and expense?” Tom couldn’t understand. “Our flat isn’t big enough to accommodate everyone, and now we’ll have to buy groceries, clean up, and organize everything.”
“Sure, living in my flat is fine for you, but throwing one party for your mother seems too much,” Grace started. “This might be my last milestone birthday, and I have the right to make my own decisions.”
“You do realize, mum won’t handle the preparation by herself?” Tom asked later. “My older sister Sarah has been on bad terms with mum for a while, so she might not even show up for the party. My younger sister Kate lives in another city and definitely won’t make it to help, so it’s all on you.”
“Great, so I’m a servant for a week,” Liz grumbled.
“We don’t have much of a choice; we want to honour mum, and we live in her flat,” Tom reminded her.
Liz didn’t want to do any of it, but the fact that they shared a home felt decisive. She knew that otherwise, her mother-in-law wouldn’t give them any peace, draining their nerves. Two weeks before the party, she did a thorough cleaning of the flat, making everything sparkle, planning to do a quick tidy-up right before the celebration.
“I don’t like the menu you’ve suggested,” Grace remarked, looking at her daughter-in-law’s notes. “There aren’t enough meat dishes, nobody needs your modern snacks, and we can’t have guests going home hungry.”
“But there are a lot of dishes here, all high-calorie and costly in both money and time,” Liz justified.
“Fine, I’ll add something else, and then we’ll decide,” Grace grimaced.
After Grace’s additions, the list of dishes and expenses grew by half. Grace intended to pay for part of the banquet herself but relied on her son and daughter-in-law for the rest.
“Firstly, we’re one family – that’s normal,” she asserted. “Secondly, I haven’t decided anything about the flat yet. If I leave it to you, you’d benefit anyway, so it wouldn’t hurt to make a bit of an effort.”
Liz tried to hold her tongue to avoid upsetting her husband. He meekly followed his mother’s whims. She didn’t want to buy all the groceries from the same supermarket as she thought it was not economical.
“But we’ll waste fuel, time, and effort buying oil at one store, cream at the market, and eggs out of town,” Liz argued.
“No problem,” Grace insisted. “I want to be sure of the quality of the products, so buy them where I usually do.”
Grace didn’t have much energy or strength to help with cooking, but she was involved in purchasing and demanded her son drive her around. Tom had to bear with his mother’s company after work and her constant lectures.
“Do you have a reliable baker for ordering the cake?” Grace asked her daughter-in-law.
“I thought we’d just buy a ready-made cake or pastries,” Liz was caught off guard.
“Clearly, you’re suggesting grabbing a basic loaf in honour of my milestone birthday,” Grace theatrically sulked. “You wouldn’t pull such stunts with your own mother.”
“My mum had a milestone birthday last year, and she didn’t celebrate it at all,” Liz blurted out. “We just had a quiet gathering with her and my brother’s family.”
“That’s your personal affair, each family has its own rules,” Grace wouldn’t give up. “You came into ours, so kindly abide by our rules.”
Liz genuinely tried to please her mother-in-law. During her lunch break, she browsed cake options and recipes, and after work, she dashed to the store as there was always something more to buy. Since the guests were invited for Saturday, she took Thursday off to prepare everything and ensure it was done in time.
“I see you have no sense of decency,” Grace fumed again. “Alright, Tom’s a man and doesn’t understand, but you could have offered to help.”
“What’s the issue?” Liz asked, trying to grasp her dissatisfaction.
“I’m having a party, guests are coming, and I’m expected to greet them in a dressing gown with hair in a bun?”
Liz had to accompany her mother-in-law to the shops, picking out a new outfit. She arranged for a friend to come over and style Grace’s hair and makeup.
“Why are you baking meat rolls today?” Grace stormed into the kitchen. “The party is the day after tomorrow, and they won’t be fresh.”
“Because tomorrow is fully scheduled, and I physically won’t have time to make everything at once,” Liz reminded her. “The cooker and oven will be occupied, and I only have two hands.”
“Then get up earlier and stop playing the martyr,” Grace pressed.
“You’re trying to make me do everything,” Liz could no longer stay silent. “In fact, if you’re not happy, I won’t do it.”
“What do you mean?” Grace yelled, her face flushed with anger.
“Take your guests to a café or order delivery,” Liz snapped. “I’m fed up with complaints and accusations.”
Tom returned home to find his wife crying and his mother angry. Grace was taking heart drops, accusing her daughter-in-law of trying to ruin her birthday and stressing her unnecessarily.
“Dear, please, let’s just see this through to the end,” Tom pleaded. “We only have a couple more days, and then it’ll be over.”
Liz swallowed her pride for her husband’s sake, rested, and headed to the kitchen. She spent all of Friday there, exhausted. By Saturday, everything was ready for the guests’ arrival, and the flat gleamed with cleanliness. The birthday girl, in a new outfit and her hair done, welcomed the guests, inviting them to the table.
“Everything’s cooked with love and in a good mood,” Grace beamed at her relatives.
“Everything is as delicious and lovely as always,” guests showered compliments.
“I worked hard, despite some people creating problems,” Grace replied, looking around without focusing on anyone in particular, though lingering on her daughter-in-law and daughters.
Liz hardly sat down throughout the feast, constantly rushing with plates. Tom, his nerves frayed, insisted his sisters help out.
“I can’t figure out if you’re a hero or just daft?” Tom’s sister Sarah wondered in the kitchen.
“What do you mean?” Liz was puzzled.
“It’s obvious mum’s pulling the strings, and this whole bash is on your dime and effort,” she replied.
“Don’t rub salt in the wound,” pleaded Kate, the other sister. “You know how our mum is, and why we keep our distance.”
“It’s a milestone, respect, we live together and all,” Liz stammered.
“She’s our mother; we came just because we’re scared this might genuinely be her last celebration,” Kate continued. “But truth be told, she’s a tough person, living with her is impossible. And if you think she’ll leave you the flat, she probably won’t. She’s just keeping control, we’ve been there.”
The guests stayed late, showering Grace with praise, devouring nearly everything, and taking their leave with some takeaway pastries. After the last guest left, Grace retired like royalty, not even thanking her son and daughter-in-law for their help. Liz washed dishes until dawn and then finally went to bed. But she barely got any rest, as Grace burst into the room at ten, suggesting a shopping trip with her birthday money.
“I can’t do this anymore, and I don’t want to, understand?” Liz asked Tom once the door closed behind Grace. “I won’t go, and I don’t care about her reaction.”
Tom didn’t go either, which offended Grace. She soon put on more dramatic displays and spread tales about how her son and daughter-in-law didn’t appreciate her and were ungrateful. Two months later, Liz convinced Tom to move to a rented place to live away from his mother. Grace couldn’t grasp the reason for their action, continuing to label Liz as having “ruined her son’s life and lacking respect for his mother.” Grace viewed herself as the ideal mother with ungrateful children.
