I am utterly convinced that there isn’t a single reason in the world why I should be responsible for supporting my brother-in-law and his brood, let alone sorting out a flat for them. Lets clear things up from the start: the three-bedroom flat were living in is mine I bought it myself, back when it looked like something a DIY TV show would use as a cautionary tale. To paint a picture: the front door was just propped up against the frame, not even pretending to do its job. But, you see, the price was right, and I fixed it up bit by bit. Still, thats not quite the story here.
By the time I met my husband, Id already renovated two rooms and even bought some furniture (nothing too posh, thanks to Ikea). The flat was, all in all, rather homely.
My husband was handsome, honest, and came with nothing but the clothes on his back from a rented place. After a few months of dating, he moved in with me. Once we were married, we turned the smallest room into a nursery; first came our son, then our daughtera neat little duo.
Everything was ticking along nicely until, one chilly autumn night, our domestic bliss was rudely interrupted by my mother-in-law. She turned up that day, tears and suitcases at the ready.
Can I stay with you for a bit? My other sons brought some girlfriend home, and shes moved right into my place. Perhaps itll work out and theyll settle down together forever and ever… I shant be any bother, Ill help out, do the school pick up, make dinner. Youre all I have!
She was sniffling dramatically, so of course, I let her in and gave her the biggest room. My husbands mum had retired years ago, and did, in fairness, help with the kids, but never seemed overly keen on the idea of going back to her flatnot with her younger son cosying up there. He lived in her one-bedroom, along with his new wife and the two kids (one theirs, one from her previous marriagea proper modern family, if such a thing exists).
Years back, my brother-in-law married his school sweetheart straight out of sixth form, and my in-laws, bless them, promptly sold their old place to buy a studio flat for themselves and a two-bedroom for their golden boy. Not long after, Father-in-law fell ill and passed away.
Brother-in-law and his first wife had two children, then split, leaving her and the kids in the flat. She soon shacked up with a new fella, and now the lot of them live there. Post-divorce, the prodigal son returned to his motherannouncing, Mum, Ill move in with you. Nows my time, Im a free man! Im sure Ill get sorted, find a new place somehow. Lets just say, things did not develop as hed imagined. A couple of months in, and the new girlfriend was joining him at his mums.
Every weekend, the mother-in-law would cart over all her grandchildrenthe ones from the first marriage and the second. Our flat was bedlam.
After a year, I finally told my mother-in-law she needed to sort out her own accommodation. She erupted into tears, verging on hysterical.
It was left to me to have The Talk with my brother-in-law: time, dear chap, for you to vacate your mums place. He flatly refused, citing his measly salary and the kids as reasons he simply couldnt afford rent anywhere. Well, what does one do?
These days, my relationship with my mother-in-law is, shall we say, strained. I dont even want to go home after work. So, I told my husband point-blank: he needed to handle the housing situation for his mum or I would be filing for divorce.
This sent him into utter panic, as you can imaginebecause, honestly, where on earth was his mother meant to go? And hed never just throw her onto the street.
I suggested she simply rent a nice flat; after all, we could help with the money. But my mother-in-law outright refused: she had absolutely no intention of renting, and insisted instead we should be sorting out a two-bedroom for my brother-in-law’s family, so she could have her home back.
I found her nerve astonishing and said, rather briskly, that if she didnt sort herself out within a week, her things would find themselves on the pavement. What other options are there?
I honestly dont see why we should bankroll my brother-in-laws entire familynever mind be saddled with providing a home for them!
