Im an only child, and though I was supposedly long awaited, Ive never really felt truly loved by my parents. When I was 23, five months pregnant, doubts crept in about whether I was my parents biological daughter at all. Now both in their seventies, my parents and I were barely scraping by. We were living in a rented flat, struggling to make ends meet. My husband and I were both studying and working, but it wasnt enough to cover our bills. Twice, we nearly found ourselves evicted for failing to pay the rent, forcing us to borrow money from friends just to hang on. The debts kept piling up affording food was a challenge, and we always seemed on the edge of yet another financial crisis. Occasionally, my parents would bring us a bit of food to help tide us over.
My parents were particularly keen for us to get married, so a year ago, without much hesitation, we went down to the registry office and tied the knot. Thats when my parents began mentioning how much they looked forward to having grandchildren. My mum would often remind me that I should have a child soon, otherwise Id end up an old parent like she was. But neither of us felt truly ready for children, especially knowing how much financial responsibility that would bring.
Then, my parents made us quite an appealing offer. They promised that if I had a baby, theyd give us a large sum of money enough for us to buy a cottage in the countryside. They would then move to the countryside themselves, leaving us the flat in the city. After some thought, my husband and I decided this could really make a difference for us. We wouldnt have to worry about renting, and any leftover money would help us get by. My mum assured me she would help look after the baby while I finished my degree. On top of that, they promised financial support and help buying whatever wed need for the baby and for myself.
Yet, not a single one of their promises came true. They didnt even buy a single nappy. Throughout my pregnancy, my mum would ring me, asking if I was preparing for the birth, but the truth was, I didnt have the money for even the basics not a single babygrow. She hinted that my husband should take a third job just to make ends meet. Whenever I reminded her of their promise to support us, she flatly denied theyd said anything of the sort and scolded us for being thoughtless. When my daughter Olivia was born, my parents suddenly remembered the conversation about the money, but by then my husband and I had decided to sort out a place of our own. Wed realised we couldnt count on them for help after all.
