“Mum, he wants me to do it for him… He says all good wives can do it… Am I not a good wife? Please teach me… If everyone else can, then surely I should be able to as well…” I still can’t believe my niece managed to find a husband—all thanks to her mother. When Alina was a child, my sister refused to let her go to nursery; as a teenager, she wasn’t allowed out—she spent all her time at home and became something of a recluse. When she studied at university in our town, her mum insisted she be home by 6pm every evening. Even when Alina turned 20, her mum would ring at half seven and shout if she wasn’t home—ridiculous, really. Alina met her future husband in her second year; they studied together in the library—he was two years older, always shared his notes, helped her, and soon enough, he’d fallen for her and started taking her out. That’s when my niece finally began to rebel against her mother’s rules. In the end, my niece got married, and her mother finally let her start a new life. Now, let me tell a story that happened not long ago. I was visiting my sister when Alina called—her voice a mix of tears and laughter, almost impossible to understand: “Mum, he wants me to do it for him… He says all good wives can… Am I not a good wife? Please teach me… If everyone else can, I should be able to as well…” My sister’s face changed in an instant; she told Alina to calm down and asked her what it was that “all good women” could do. “Soup, Mum,” Alina replied—and we burst out laughing. “Don’t laugh at me! You never taught me how to make soup, I’ve tried recipes online but they taste awful!” So my sister and I quickly walked her through the steps, giggling here and there. Later that evening, Alina rang back to say thank you—her husband had complimented her soup, and now she says she finally feels like a “proper woman!”

Mother, he wants me to do it for him… He says all good English women know how… So am I not good? Please, teach me… They can all do it, so I should be able too

To this day, Im still rather astonished that my niece ever found herself a husband, given how her mother raised her.

When Charlotte was just a little girl, my sister refused to send her to nursery school. Once in her teens, she wasn’t allowed to go out with friendsshe spent all her time at home, more or less becoming a recluse. While at university in Oxford, her life was just as controlled; Mother carefully ensured Charlotte returned every day before six in the evening. I can still recall an evening when she was already twenty, and her mother called at half past seven in a panic, scolding her for not being home yet. Truly, it was all quite absurd.

Charlotte met her future husband in her second year at university. They crossed paths while studying in the libraryhe was a couple of years her senior. He shared his notes with her, offered help with assignments, and before anyone knew it, he had fallen in love with her. Soon enough, he was courting her, and that became the point when Charlotte threw her mothers strict rules to the wind.

In the end, my niece married him, and her mother, at last, permitted her to start living her own life.

Now, not too long ago, I found myself sat in my sisters drawing room, when Charlotte rang up, her voice trembling between laughter and tears so much that we could barely make out what she was saying.

Mum, he wants me to do it for him… He says all the good English women can… So that means Im no good? Please teach me… If others are able, then I ought to know how as well

At this moment, my sisters face changed instantly; she asked Charlotte to calm down and asked what it was that good women apparently could do.

Soup, Mum, she replied, and at that point we both burst out laughing.

Dont laugh at me! You never taught me how to make soup. Ive tried recipes from the internet but none of them tasted right!

My sister and I proceeded to patiently guide her, step by step, through making a proper pot of English soup, sharing many a giggle along the way.

Later that evening, Charlotte called once more, grateful for our guidance. Her husband had praised her efforts, declaring the soup deliciousand, much to her delight, Charlotte now says she finally feels like a proper Englishwoman!