My brother, Michael, moved to another, distant city for work after finishing university. The plan had been to stay there just a year, save up some money, and then come back to our hometown to buy a flat. But fate had other ideas. While he was there, he met a girl, and soon enough, they decided to get married. So Michael stayed put and settled down. None of us had ever met his wife. As it happened, I was heavily pregnant at the time of their weddingjust about due reallyso it was decided I wouldnt be able to travel anywhere. My father couldnt get time off work, so only my mother went along. She didnt get particularly close to her new daughter-in-law, just met her and that was it. After the wedding, the happy couple went off on their honeymoon, and Mum returned home a few days later. Mum told us the girl was pretty, cheerful, and pleasant enough. But the years went by, and we never once got to meet my brothers wife.
That is, until this year, when Michael surprised us with some brilliant news. Hed planned out an elaborate holiday, visiting several places in one go. The first stop was to visit us, together with his wife. After that, theyd be off to attend the wedding of one of Michaels friends, then on to a school reunion, then to meet up with her parents at the seaside, before finally heading home. They were meant to stay with us for two days. I didnt see this as a problem at all. True, our flat is a bit on the small side, but we had the use of my in-laws summer house. My mother-in-law gave us her blessing to stay there. Mind you, the place hadnt been refurbished in ages, but it was cosy and perfectly livable. I was in high spirits that day, genuinely looking forward to our guests. They arrived. And thats when things started to go south.
Michael introduced us, and from the very first moment I met her, his wife began complaining, moaning about the journeytoo hot, too loud, too uncomfortable, and so on and so forth.
Once we got to the summer house, I decided to show them around. My sister-in-law eyed the shower and toilet as though shed just been kissed by a vagrant. She pulled Michael aside for a moan, then later Michael quietly asked my husband if he could drive them back into town. She made it quite clear she wasnt going to use that shower. Off they went back to ours so she could freshen up, put on her makeup, and then they returned to the summer house.
It didnt end there. She wouldnt eat anything wed cooked, though wed done our best. There was always somethinggluten, oil, I forget what else. In the end, she ate nothing but the vegetables, and even they got suspicious glances. She refused to sleep in the room wed set up for them, and so, yet again, we all trekked back to our poky flat in the city.
The next day, when we took a walk around London, she was fussier than my three-year-old sonshe was hot, then her feet hurt, then she was bored. When the time finally came for them to leave, I couldnt help but feel relieved. I honestly couldnt imagine how Michael had managed to put up with her all these years. She wore us out in just two days.
Its strange how you can spend years imagining someone and they turn out so different in real life. I suppose Ive learned that lifes full of surprises, and sometimes, expectations dont match up with realityeven when it comes to family.
