So, picture this theres this lovely woman called Margaret, sixty years old. Shes got two grown-up kids and has spent most of her married life in a small two-bedroom flat in Manchester with her husband. But honestly, living with isnt really the right word. Shes just been tolerating him all these years. Hes a difficult man, I tell you all self-important and stubborn, insists that everything at home has to go exactly his way. Margarets been patient for ages, just putting up with his ways.
Their daughter, Emily, has been married to her husband, Tom, for twelve years now. They bought a place together with a mortgage, and, thankfully, theyre managing fine, gradually chipping away at the repayments. Any extra money from bonuses or pay rises goes straight into the mortgage pot.
Emily and Tom both work full-time, and somehow they make it all work the mortgage, making sure their two kids are well looked after, and even keeping them well-dressed. Emilys brother, James, on the other hand, is much better off. He owns a handful of flats across the city and even has a cottage out in the countryside.
Then, one day, James rings up Emily with quite the bombshell: Mum and Dad are getting divorced, Mums idea. Theyve already sold the flat and split the money between them. I told Dad Id take care of him, and youd take care of Mum, he says. Emily just stares at her phone, gobsmacked. What on earth do you mean? Wheres Mum going to live? Remember, we only have this two-bedroom flat, two young kids to think about wheres she supposed to sleep? she asks, utterly flustered.
But James just brushes it off, Isnt that for you to work out? Are you just gonna abandon Mum? Emily sighs, knowing full well her husband Toms not going to be thrilled about any of this, Tom wont take to this very well, she admits. James just goes, Its your problem now, and hangs up on her.
Thing is, James had already sorted his dad out put him up in one of his spare one-bed flats. No sweat off his back. Emily, on the other hand, starts thinking she needs to take out another mortgage just for her mum. Against all odds, her request goes through. The new flats put in Emilys name, with Margaret using her share from the original flat as the deposit. But of course, Emily now has to juggle yet another load of mortgage payments.
Toms having a hard time dealing with the whole situation. Every so often, he just mopes around the house, grumbling about how people their age ought not to get divorced and how its not fair piling all this stress onto their children. He reckons its just not right.
Im curious, though do you reckon Toms got a point here?
