When you have kin, you also have hassle an old English saying.
Emily grew up in a tiny village and from childhood dreamed of leaving it behind. She never imagined herself as a milkmaid, a farmhand, or a shepherd. At sixteen she bought a train ticket to Birmingham, swearing she would never return to the backwater, no matter what.
She entered a technical college, got a room in the dormitory, and after two years landed a job as a crane operator on a tower crane.
It was time to think about marriage. For three months she spent weekends dancing in the town park with her friends, where she met James, a young man who seemed equally eager to find a wife. They didnt waste time straight to the registry office they went.
Emily wrote home, Mum, Dad, Im getting married! Come visit! Her parents couldnt attend; the older sister had just been wed, and the trip would be too costly. Her mother replied, Well come later to see the grandchildren.
The wedding was held, and everyday life began. Emily moved into the cramped threeroom house she now shared with James, his mother Margaret, his sister Lucy and her son, his brother and sisterinlaw, and herself.
James and Emily were happy despite the tight quarters. Margaret liked Emily because she was obedient, hardworking, and never said more than necessary. Margaret had five children; two daughters lived elsewhere with their husbands.
The youngest sister, Hannah, caused the most trouble. She gave birth to a boy, Thomas, in the hospital, but the father vanished without explanation, leaving James to fetch his sister and the infant from the maternity ward. A nurse joked, Now youll be raising your nephew for life, and they laughed it off.
All lived together, working side by side. Tensions rose when James brought his new wife home. Hannah immediately despised Emily, accusing her of stealing James from a faroff village.
Emily avoided conflict, kept silent, and said nothing to James because Margaret urged her, Emily, dont be angry at Hannah. Shes just jealous, lonely, and unlucky. Be kind and dont tell James.
She stayed quiet even when Hannah shouted at her own mother and hurled insults. Emily defended Margaret, who wiped away tears in the kitchen.
Soon Emily gave birth to a daughter, Lily, and motherhood filled her with joy. Hannahs fury, however, grew. Arguments erupted daily. Emily finally stood up for her child like a tigress, complained to James, and in a rash moment James swung an iron at Hannah. The iron missed, and Hannah fell silent.
Hannah had lovers and often left Thomas with Emily while she went out, regarding the boy as a burden and blaming him for her loneliness. One angry Emily snapped, You should mind your own child! Hes turning into a little thief!
Thomas misbehaved, stealing money, getting into trouble, and he wasnt even nine yet. Hannah dismissed it, saying, Ill marry soon and then deal with Thomas. Im tired of sleeping on a cold bed while you cuddle with James.
When Emilys parents visited to see Lily, they were shocked by the cramped house and the constant fights. Her father said, Emily, you should come back home before you lose your mind. Her mother whispered, Come back, dear. Vicky will welcome you and Lily with open arms.
Emily replied, I didnt come to the city to return to the farm. She endured, hoping James would soon get an engineers flat.
Three years later the factory granted James a flat. Joy overflowed. By then Emily and James also had a son, Oliver. The family moved into their own little nest empty and chilly, but finally theirs.
A year later Margaret died. Hannah turned grey, blamed herself for her harshness and petty quarrels, and visited the grave daily, tending the plot, whispering to herself, and ignoring warnings not to linger there. Time softened her grief.
She began a serious relationship, soon to be married, and invited Emily over. They chatted, laughed, and drank tea. As Emily was about to leave, Hannah said, Wait, Emily, I need to ask forgiveness. I was jealous of you; now I see how much you love James. Im happy for you. Youre the dearest person to me.
Emily, surprised, replied, You look beautiful, Hannah. Hannah smiled sadly and kissed Emily on the cheek. Emily walked home, stunned.
The next morning Jamess younger brother called, James, Hannah didnt wake up. Shes dead in her sleep. She was thirtyseven, with a heart defect. She was buried beside her mother in the same garden.
For a year fresh flowers adorned her grave, tended by the man she never married. He later replaced them with artificial roses that never wilted.
Thomas, now fourteen and halforphaned, needed a home. Their biological father had a new family and no room for him. Relatives wanted to send him to a boarding school, but James declared, No boarding schools! We are family. If we have kin, we must deal with it. He took custody of Thomas.
The relatives sighed with relief. James and Emily welcomed the extra hands, despite occasional theft, rudeness, and threats from Thomas. They survived.
Thomas grew up, married, and named his first son Lovell after Hannah and his second son Colin after James. Relatives marveled, Look how he turned out! Fresh flowers again appeared on Hannahs grave, left by Thomas.
Through all the upheavals Emily learned that love and responsibility stretch beyond blood, and that kindness to those around you builds a family stronger than any house. The true lesson: when you have kin, you also have the chance to choose compassion over conflict.
