Oh, mate, let me tell you the story, it’s honestly unbelievable. So, you know how everyone thinks, “Well, after all, she is his mum! He can take her in!” All those remarks come from people close to my husband. I know my friends quietly agree, but they never say it outright. The reason behind all this is the situation with my mother-in-law.
Her names Edith, she’s 83, weighs a fair bit over sixteen stone, and is always ill. “Why don’t you have Edith live with you?” my cousin asked a couple of years back. “Its nice that you help every day, but what if something happens at night? It’s hard for her to be on her own. At the end of the day, your David is her only support.”
Its obvious, isnt it? The grandmother will be looked after by her only son, his only wife, and her only grandson. For the past five years, Edith hasn’t left her flat, not even once. Her legs are painful, and her weight makes it tough for her to move. But it all started thirty years ago. Back then, my mother-in-law was lively, young, healthyand rather bossy.
“Who have you dragged here?” Davids mum, Edith, said, completely outraged. “This is what I sacrificed my life for?”
After that, we quietly headed to the bus stop. At the time, Davids mum lived in a posh area outside London, in a big, beautiful house. Her husband had a respectable job, so Edith had a good life, even after hed passed away. That day, David caught up with me and came home with me. I was lucky with my husband; he didnt blindly listen to his mum, but he respects his elders. He tried to comfort me and explained it was just her personality.
Once we got married, we started saving for our own place. David moved out and didnt return for six months, because he was working hard. After a few years, we managed to buy a house and eventually finished it. We finally settled in. We didnt visit Edith often. She kept spreading gossip about meto David and to anyone whod listen. Apparently, her daughter-in-law wont let her son help his mum. How can she not let him? And all that rubbish.
She decided to move to the city, but the money she got for her house wasnt enough. She suggested we chip in, promising the flat would be left to our son, her grandson. But at the solicitors, Edith suddenly said the flat should be left to her, because a friend warned her that sometimes grandmothers end up without a home. Then she said shed leave it to whoever took care of her in her old ageshe wanted to be the lady of the house! She claimed wed cheat her and leave her with nothing.
That was nearly twenty years ago. Everyone in the solicitors office could hear her moaningwe felt absolutely mortified. We decided to let it go. She moved in almost right away and wouldnt let us do any redecorating. She stayed there for about a month, then started complaining that everything was old and falling apart. My mother-in-law blamed me for everythingId found her the wrong flat and was scheming to cheat her.
Edith doted on her cousins children, but completely ignored her own grandson. She even pretended not to remember his birthday! A few years ago, Edith fell ill. Shed put on so much weight, it was near impossible for her to move around the flat. I brought her healthy food as prescribed by the doctor. But Edith cursed and refused to eat, saying only her cousin fed her properly, and that I was starving her.
Last year, David started begging me to let her move in with us. He said his mum had finally understood and knew she had to listen to her doctor.
Alright, I agreed, but laid out my conditions: the kitchen would be mine alone, Id do all the cooking and decide what we eat, and none of her cousins should visit.
My mother-in-law was outraged and refused to come, since she thought shed be coming to take charge of the place. But we have only one lady of the houseand thats me! So I had to visit her, clean, cook, and sometimes stay overnight. Her favourite cousin showed her concern only by phone.
Edith grumbled over the phone that I was starving hernot giving her sweets or smoked sausages. She begged me to come and bring cakes, but her cousin, citing a busy schedule, kept postponing visits, even though she lived three times closer than I did. She only turned up once a month with something unhealthy, while I looked after Edith every single day.
One day, Edith rang her cousin and claimed her necklace and crucifix had gone missing. She said the two of us had both been there that day, but believed it was me who took them.
Without saying a word, I put her dinner on the table and handed over the chain and crucifix, which had simply fallen off her nightstand. At home, I told David everything and decided I couldnt keep going. I suggested we look into a care home for her. David agreed.
