The foolish children thought they could play at being independent and wound up with a mountain of debt and no flat of their own.
When our children wed, both sets of parents agreed to help them find a place to live. My husband and I had set aside some savings, and so had my in-laws. Together, we had enough to put towards a modest flat. Our intention was to buy it and give them a fresh start, but the youngsters insisted they wanted to do it all themselvesthey were adults now, after all, and would manage on their own.
Some time passed, and we discovered they had gone ahead and bought a three-bedroom flat. But instead of sensible planning, they had taken out a hefty bank loan to pay for it. And who, we asked, would be handling the mortgage repayments? We can manage just fine, was their confident answer.
Then came the news that theyd decided a car was a necessityit was a long commute from the new flat to work, and public transport, they claimed, just wouldnt do. So they went and bought a brand new car on finance, straight from the showroom, despite our advice to start with a second-hand vehicle. Once again, we were assured of their independence and wisdom.
It didnt stop there. Soon, they were planning to start a familyand decided it would be ideal for their child to be born abroad, securing that coveted foreign passport. Of course, another loan was needed, this time to cover the birth in a private clinic with every imaginable comfort and specialist care.
Their daughter was born, a beautiful moment followed too soon by the urge to redecorate the nursery. Yet again, they took out a loan. We asked, quietly, how they intended to repay all this debt. Dont worry, were independent, they insisted.
Then, disaster. My son-in-law was made redundant and our daughter was still on maternity leave, her income a fraction of what it had been. Suddenly, there was nothing left in the pot. The bills mounted. The loans had to be paid. Desperate, they came to us and begged us to sell our cottage in the country. We didnt want to, but we agreed, just to help stave off the debt collectors. It wasnt enough.
In the end, they were forced to sell the flat. The car went next. With nothing left, they moved in with my in-laws, stripped of their pride and any semblance of ownership. Now, they grieve the loss of what they builtor thought they had built. Of course, they have nothingtheyd never listened to us. The loans are far from paid off; years of repayment still hang over their heads. There is nothing but sorrow and tears now.
