My husband and I were completely stunned! Margaret, now in her fifties, recalled. Its beyond telling, really. What that young man didhe left her to carry the whole burden of pregnancy herself; there are no words for it. He sent her off for an abortion, evicted her from the flat they rented, and shouted everywhere that the child was not his that shed fallen pregnant elsewhere. He frayed my nerves to bits, honestly!
I can understand Towards the end, about three weeks before the birth, it seemed he finally calmed down; I heard he called Emily, spoke normally, asked after her health, the baby, wondered who it would be, when it would arrive. But not once did he visit them in all that time, nor buy so much as a hat for the baby, or even an apple. On Thursday, I became a grandmother! Tomorrow Emily is coming home from the hospital. My daughter and husband told me that Oliver would come to pick them up. We were utterly shocked! After all that had happened
Wellperhaps the fellow is, at last, turning over a new leaf? Is it worth giving him a chance? I have no idea whats going on in his head, but my husband and I are completely against it. As I said before, we saw not a shred of support from him during the entire pregnancy. Where will he take her and the baby? Emily mentioned hed rented a bedsit such nonsense, with a newborn, in some shabby bed and breakfast, not even in London, but in some place nobody knows! Emilys father said if that wretched man comes round to visit, well just turn right round and leave, and she can live with the consequences.
Emily, Margaret and her husbands daughter, is twenty-six. A lovely girl, her parents one and only child. About a year and a half ago, Emily began seeing Oliver, who her parents never took to.
He doesnt have much education; he attended school, but, by his own admission, made some silly choices and never sat his A-level exams. Margaret suspects he never even passed his GCSEs, but he keeps that quiet so as not to look bad.
Oliver works as a porter for a furniture company and hopes for decent earnings. For someone of his background, with no qualifications whatsoever, its fair enough. His official wage is paltry, but he gets by with odd jobs and tips. When someone buys new furniture, its delivered by lads like him, and the old pieces are often dismantled and taken away. Sometimes the old bits are quite good and can be sold, and the owner is content just to have them carted off.
All in all, he muddles along and makes it work.
Emily holds a university degree, works in marketing, and was at an advertising agency before her maternity leave. She wore smart suits and heels, and used to date men of similar standing. And then, along came Oliver, out of nowhere some furniture delivery for her office, something like that. Thats how they met.
They moved in together, against all expectations! Margaret remembers. All of Emilys friends were shocked, not a soul understood it, really.
Then, suddenly, she was pregnant. Oliver wanted desperately not to marry, and for almost nine months, he wore out the nerves of everyone in the family. Emily moved back in with her parents as they prepared for the baby they redecorated Emilys old room, bought baby things, and paid for her to give birth in a good clinic.
And now he shows up, waves his finger as if all our efforts, everything weve done, counts for nothing! Margarets voice nearly broke. Emily is ready to leave us and go with him, moving with the baby into goodness knows what sort of bedsit. Is that what good parents ought to do just let her go and wish them luck? Wait for the day she returns, heartbroken and barefoot in her slippers? Its bound to happen, if not now, eventually!
Do you think its right to give your daughter an ultimatum If he comes, we go? Is it fair to support your child in their decision? She has chosen to forgive and give her husband a second chance, so what then?
Or are parents justified in their feelings?
