Nothing Belongs to You Here
“I don’t want to argue with Mum, understand,” Peter mumbled.
“Well, I’ll have to let her know how I feel then. I don’t care what happens next,” Hannah replied.
She was utterly fed up with the situation and had no intention of putting up with it any longer.
The whole issue lay in Peter’s calm nature, which his mother openly exploited. Unlike him, Mrs. Agnes Jones was quite a forceful character.
“Don’t put your finger near her mouth, or she’ll bite off your arm,” people often said about people like her.
If only Hannah had discovered this sooner, things would have been far simpler.
Some Time Ago
“How much do you pay for your rented flat?”
“Five hundred pounds,” Peter replied.
“You must be out of your minds! That’s a fortune! You’ll never save enough for your own place that way,” Mrs. Agnes Jones exclaimed.
“So, what should we do? We can’t live in a dodgy hostel with bedbugs and drunks,” Hannah grimaced.
“Of course not. I’ve got a better idea,” Peter’s mother suggested.
She offered them to move into her house. She had plenty of room. Four full rooms at their disposal.
“Well, it sounds like a great idea. I’m in,” Hannah said cheerfully.
But you could tell Peter wasn’t thrilled at all by his mother’s suggestion and politely said they would think about it.
As soon as the couple returned to their rented flat, Hannah brought it up again.
“What do you mean ‘think about it’? What’s there to think about? Peter, we should agree. I’m sick of throwing away five hundred every month. We’ll never save for our own place.”
Peter just shook his head.
“Hannah, you don’t know my mother! She seems so simple and kind-hearted.”
“Oh come on, those are your childhood grievances. You’re exaggerating.”
The Distant Past
“Mum, give it back, it’s my money,” sobbed little Peter, who had just turned 10.
“Nothing here is yours,” Mrs. Agnes Jones sternly said while wetting her fingers to count the money.
“But I got it for my birthday.”
“Everything in this house belongs to me. Remember that for good.”
Indeed, Peter remembered all this well and didn’t want to live with his mother, but Hannah wasn’t giving up.
She eventually persuaded him with her arguments, and he had to agree.
Surprisingly, they got on quite well with Mrs. Agnes Jones at first. She almost didn’t interfere in their lives.
However, her demands began increasing each day, especially after a month, once she saw they’d settled in comfortably.
Mrs. Agnes Jones insisted that now they should not only provide for groceries but also pay a part of the living expenses.
“Sorry, darlings, but electricity and water bills don’t pay themselves. And my pension isn’t endless.”
“Peter, your mother is right. I completely agree with her,” Hannah nodded as she devoured her fried potatoes.
She was making the most of it too. Never fond of cooking, now her mother-in-law handled it. But it was costing them much more than any “restaurant”.
Yes, Mrs. Agnes Jones wasn’t embarrassed to charge them for this. And each month, the cost only increased.
“Hannah, don’t you think we’re spending way more money here than on our rented place?”
“What makes you say that?” she looked at him, surprised.
“Why don’t you add it up? Bills, food, cooking, other expenses. It’s way more than five hundred.”
“Maybe…”
“I’m telling you. Plus, we’ve been saving much less since we moved here.”
They decided to return to renting. However, Mrs. Agnes Jones was ready with her say.
“Oh, come on. Stay as long as you like. By the way, I need help with some renovations. I’m not hiring workers on my pension.”
It was true. The young couple couldn’t leave her like this. Besides, they’d been living there a while. They ought to help out.
Mrs. Agnes Jones subtly indicated she couldn’t afford the renovations.
“Did you see the prices? They’ve shot up over the last six months!”
“Yes, yes, we understand. We’ll lend a hand, right Peter?”
“Of course.”
Mrs. Agnes Jones could read his expression.
“Peter, something bothering you?”
“No, Mum.”
“Good, I’m doing this for us to be comfortable here.”
Eventually, they did the renovations.
Not in one room, but all four. Mrs. Agnes Jones insisted it was better to do it now than later when prices would spike even more.
Then, she outright declared she needed a new washing machine, and a dishwasher wouldn’t be a bad idea. After all, hands aren’t made of iron.
Of course, they bought everything for her.
However, the dream of buying their own place kept getting delayed.
Two years passed.
Peter and Hannah understood that with each year, Mrs. Agnes Jones’s demands only grew.
If they had lived separately, they could have saved up for a new house. At worst, they would have taken out a mortgage, but nothing went as planned.
“I don’t want to quarrel with Mum, try to understand,” Peter murmured.
“Well then, I’ll tell her everything myself. I’m done with this,” Hannah said.
She was completely tired of the situation and wouldn’t endure it any longer.
“Okay, I understand. I’ll figure something out.”
Then Peter had a brilliant idea.
“Mum, can we chat?”
“About what?”
“Remember you once said a whole house was too much for you?”
“So?”
“Maybe we could sell it and buy separate flats for you and us?”
With that, Mrs. Agnes Jones jumped up and yelled at her son:
“Are you out of your mind? Never!”
“But why?”
“Because it’s my house and I’ll live here.”
“And us?”
“What about you? Who’s kicking you out?”
Peter realized Mrs. Agnes Jones had a plan all along.
“No, but we want to live on our own.”
“Well, go buy a flat and live. The fact you didn’t save enough – that’s your problem. Work harder, Peter!”
“Yes, so I can give more to you,” Peter thought but kept quiet.
“Well, if you want to live here, stay, and if not, go back to renting. But remember, prices there have risen too.”
Hannah decided it was time to step in, as Peter wasn’t handling his mother again.
“Mrs. Jones, but we invested money in this house and Peter’s right.”
“Prove it legally. I’m the owner here and everything is mine. Who’s unhappy, head for the door.”
Finally, Peter and Hannah understood that living with Mrs. Agnes Jones was not the best option. They decided to rent again and save up for a place.
Now they planned to at least save for a mortgage deposit.
And as for Mrs. Agnes Jones, she wasn’t complaining about life. On the contrary, she invited relatives over and boasted about the wonderful renovation. No need to wash laundry or dishes by hand anymore.
“The key is to make the right decision at the right time,” she repeated her favorite phrase once again and kept sipping her tea with sweets.
