Im absolutely certain were under no obligation whatsoever to support my brother-in-law and his brood or put them up in a flat. Right, let me make this perfectly clear from the off: the three-bedroom flat were inyes, this actual oneis mine. I bought it back before my other half and I tied the knot, and it looked a right state at the time. Honestly, the front door was basically leaning against the frame. The important bit? The price was spot on, and I did the place up, little by little. But thats not even the point.
By the time I met my husband, Id already jazzed up two rooms and even managed some half-decent furniture. Altogether, the place was starting to look quite homely.
My husband was a proper dish, decent bloke, living in a rented flat at the time. A few months after our first fish and chips together, he moved in with me. After the wedding, we turned one room into a nurseryfirst came a cheeky little lad, then a girl.
Everything was ticking along quite nicely until, one chilly autumn evening, our cheerful family routine was shattered by… my mother-in-law. She rocked up, bags in hand, tears streaming down her face.
Can I stay with you for a bit? My younger sons brought his girlfriend back to my flat. Im hoping theyll work it all out and she might even become his wifegrow old together and all that. I wont be any trouble, Ill help out, do the school run, cook meals. Youre all Ive got!
She wept, so I let her in (what was I meant to do, really?), gave her the biggest room. My husbands mum was well and truly retired, she did actually help with the kids as promised, but as time passed, she stopped popping back to her own place, since her youngest lad had bedded in there with his shiny new wife and two kidsone theirs, the other from her previous marriage.
Many moons ago, my brother-in-law married his secondary school sweetheart, and the in-laws sold up to buy themselves a pokey bedsit and a two-bedroom flat for their beloved son. Then my father-in-law got ill and, sadly, that was that.
Brother-in-law and his first wife had two children, divorced, and he left their flat to the family. So now, his ex-wife lives in his old flat with her new husband and their three kids. After the split, brother-in-law rolled back to his mum. Mum, Ill live with you. Im a free man and Ive got big plans! Well, that lasted all of five minutes because a few months later, in came his latest flame.
Mother-in-law began bringing her grandkidsfirst marriage, second marriage, you name itround to ours every weekend. Total chaos, honestly, like a budget Bank Holiday market.
A year later, I sat down with her and said, really kindly, that she needed to sort her living situation. She burst into tears againOscar-worthy, truly.
I had to chat to brother-in-law too, about maybe freeing up his mums flat, but he outright refusedsaid hes got kids to think about and barely pulls in enough for a takeaway, let alone rent. Wheres that leave us, exactly?
Lately, things between me and my mother-in-law have hit rock bottom. I actually dread coming home after work. In the end, I told my husband hed have to sort out somewhere for his mumotherwise, I was headed straight for the divorce courts.
He was completely flooredabsolutely no clue what to do with his mum, but obviously he wasnt about to turf her out on the street.
I told him, look, she can rent her own place, weve got the means to help. But she flat-out refused even to consider renting and then, brass neck of it all, suggested we rent a two-bed flat for the brother-in-law and his family, so she could move back in here!
That, to me, was just too much. I told her straight: if she doesnt move out in a week, Ill pack her bags myself and change the locks! What else am I meant to do?
I honestly dont see why we should bankroll my brother-in-laws family, never mind provide them with a home!
