Oh, let me tell you about what happened to my neighbour Margaret and her familyhonestly, its like something out of EastEnders.
So, yesterday, Margaret was having a rant to me on the stairs because her former daughter-in-law, Emily, had dropped off her granddaughter for the weekend again. I cant get the child to eat a proper meal! she moaned, exasperated. She just picks at her food and says, Mummy told me that princesses dont overeat! Shell have two forkfuls and declare shes full The girl looks practically see-through, pale as a ghost, bless her!
Margaret had taken a dislike to Emily, her son Bens wife, from the very start. The main issue? Emily was seven years older than Ben. Margaret couldnt stand that, especially since Ben was straight out of secondary schoola proper young lad.
Hed never even looked twice at a girl before her! Margaret would say, half spitting with indignation. No wonder he fell for her so hardshe lured him in with her experience, didnt she?
The thing is, Emily was stunningalways well turned out, kept herself fit, lovely clothes, climbing her career ladder. Frankly, I could see why Ben was smittenmen are visual creatures after all, and she was easy on the eyes.
Emily ate clean, was careful about her diet, and she was passing those habits onto her daughter: no overeating, think about your health and your figure, that sort of thing.
Just a few months after they got together, Emily fell pregnant. Maybe it was to prove a point to her future mother-in-law, maybe she just wanted to get married, or maybe it was just chancewho knows? Either way, Ben was adamant he wanted to marry her. Hed only just turned 18 and she was 25.
Ben managed to get into college, juggled his studies with a job so they could live independentlyfirst they rented a flat, then bought a little bedsit in a shared house. They were honestly happy together, but Margaret wouldnt give it a rest: always finding fault with Emily, her cooking, not ironing Bens shirts properly, dressing their daughter wrong. According to Margaret, Emily had no redeeming features, only flaws. And she never let up, always nagging, always picking
Eventually, Emily began to distance herself completely. She took on everything herselfnursery runs, gymnastics, chess club. Her life was a mad dash from work to nursery to clubs, all while still trying to get herself to the gym, a manicure, hairdresser. She was barely at home with Ben and their daughter, but what could she do? She was just stretched so thin.
Ben would get home to an empty flata daughter at clubs, wife at work or off somewhere else.
Then one evening, a neighbour from their shared house, Rachela widowed mum of two teenagersknocked on the door. There was a leak in the shared kitchen and she needed Bens help before there was a flood.
Bens a handy sort, so he nipped round, sorted the pipe, while Rachel was cooking up dinner. She offered him a plate of bangers and mash as thanks, and Ben couldnt say noEmily barely cooked anymore, what with her schedule and her health regime.
After that, Rachel often invited Ben for dinner when Emily and his daughter were out. Theyd sit in the shared kitchen over homemade shepherds pie or apple crumble, laughing and talking. Before long, there were sparks flyingneither quite knew how it happened, but suddenly those cosy evenings became the highlight of Bens week.
But in a shared house, nothing stays private for long. Word got around. Someone tipped Emily off that her husbands visits to Rachel werent exactly for a chat about philosophy.
The fallout was explosivethe whole building could hear their row. Emily, proud as anything, chucked Ben out on the spot, flinging his stuff into the corridor.
With nowhere else to go, and it already late, Ben ended up at Rachels, and she welcomed him without hesitation.
By this point, Ben and Emilys daughter was six. Ben was 25, Emily 32, Rachel 39.
Margarets reaction was wild. Shed always complained about Emily being older than Ben, so when she heard Ben had left her and was now living with a woman fourteen years older and with two kids of her ownyoud expect Margaret to hit the roof, right? But, no. She was silent. Just accepted itmaybe finally realising shed brought it all upon herself?
All this happened about fifteen years ago, not recently. Bens still with Rachel. They never had children together, but theyre utterly content. Bens forty now, Rachels fifty-four, and you wont find a happier pair. Margaret welcomes them bothno moaning, no snide comments. Their family gatherings are calm, peaceful, they actually get on. Ben, in particular, looks genuinely happy with his life.
What do you reckon? Do you think age matters, or can you still find happiness if shes older?
