Nothing Here Belongs to You
“I don’t want to argue with Mum, try to understand me,” murmured George.
“Then I’ll tell her myself. I don’t care what happens next,” replied Ellie.
She was completely fed up with the situation and had no intention of putting up with it any longer.
The whole issue was that George was a very calm person, and his mother openly took advantage of that. Unlike him, Agnes was quite assertive.
The saying “give an inch, she’ll take a mile” fit her perfectly.
Oh, if only Ellie had known that much earlier, things would have been much simpler.
Some time ago
“How much are you paying for the flat you’re renting?”
“Three hundred pounds,” said George.
“That’s outrageous! With those amounts, you’ll never save up for your own place,” Agnes exclaimed.
“So, what are we supposed to do? Live in a stinky dorm with bedbugs and drunks?” Ellie cringed at the thought.
“Of course not. I have a better idea.”
Then the mother-in-law suggested they move into her house. She had room to spare—four entire bedrooms. They could choose any room to live in.
“That’s a fantastic idea. I like it,” Ellie said enthusiastically.
But it was evident from George’s expression that he wasn’t thrilled with his mother’s proposition and just politely said they would consider it.
As soon as the couple returned to their rented flat, Ellie started the conversation.
“What do you mean ‘we’ll consider it’? What’s there to think about? George, we should agree. I’m sick of shelling out three hundred every month. We’ll never save for a home at this rate.”
George simply shook his head.
“Ellie, you don’t know my mum! She may seem straightforward and kind-hearted, but she isn’t.”
“Oh, come on, that’s just your childhood grievances making you exaggerate.”
Once, in early childhood,
“Mum, give it back, that’s my money,” little George, just ten years old, started to cry.
“Nothing here belongs to you,” Agnes said sternly, moistening her fingers to count the money.
“But it was a birthday gift.”
“Everything in this house is mine. Remember that, once and for all.”
George remembered it well and didn’t want to live under his mother’s roof, but Ellie was relentless in her persuasion.
Eventually, she convinced him, and George reluctantly agreed.
Surprisingly, at first, they coexisted well with Agnes. She mostly kept out of their business.
However, with time, her demands started to grow, particularly after a month when she realized the couple had settled in comfortably.
Agnes insisted that they now had to pay not only for groceries but also contribute to the household expenses.
“Sorry, darlings, but bills for electricity and water don’t pay themselves. My pension isn’t bottomless, you know.”
“George, your mum has a point. I completely agree with her,” Ellie nodded, continuing to eat her fried potatoes.
Ellie had also settled in nicely. She never much liked cooking, and now her mother-in-law did it for her. Yet, this home-cooked “restaurant” cost them more and more.
Agnes was not shy about asking for money for her efforts, and the amount grew each month.
“Ellie, don’t you think we’re spending much more than when we were renting?”
“Why do you say that?” Ellie looked at him in surprise.
“Well, just add it up. Paying for utilities, groceries, cooked meals, and other expenses, the total is definitely more than three hundred.”
“Possibly…”
“I’m telling you. Plus, we’ve been saving much less since moving here.”
They decided to return to their rented flat. But even here, Agnes had something to say.
“Oh, don’t be silly. Stay and live as long as you like. By the way, I need help with some renovations here. I can’t afford to hire workers on just my pension.”
True enough, they felt unable to leave her to manage alone. Plus, they had already become quite comfortable. Helping out seemed fair.
Agnes hinted that she didn’t have enough money for the renovations.
“Have you seen the prices lately? They’ve really shot up over the past six months!”
“Yes, yes, we understand. We’ll definitely help, right George?”
“Yes.”
Agnes easily read his expression.
“George, is something wrong?”
“No, Mum, it’s fine.”
“Good, because I’m trying to make it comfortable for all of us.”
They completed the renovations, not just in one room but all four. Agnes insisted it was better to do it now than later when costs could rise even more.
Then she straightforwardly mentioned needing a new washing machine, and a dishwasher wouldn’t hurt either. After all, hands aren’t made of iron.
Naturally, they purchased everything she asked for.
However, this meant their dream of buying a flat was deferred even further.
Two more years went by.
George and Ellie realized that Agnes’s demands increased each year.
If they lived elsewhere, they would have saved enough for their own home. At the very least, they could have taken out a mortgage, but things hadn’t gone as planned.
“I don’t want to argue with Mum, try to understand me,” murmured George.
“Then I’ll talk to her myself. I don’t care what happens next,” replied Ellie.
She was completely fed up with the situation and wasn’t going to tolerate it anymore.
“All right, I understand. I’ll think of something.”
That’s when George had a brilliant idea.
“Mum, I need to talk.”
“About what?”
“Remember you mentioned that a whole house is too much for you?”
“And?”
“Maybe we could sell it and buy separate places? One flat for you and one for us.”
Agnes jumped up, yelling at her son:
“Have you lost your mind? Never!”
“But why?”
“Because this is my house and I will live here.”
“What about us?”
“What about you? Is someone kicking you out?”
George realized Agnes had a plan all along.
“No, but we want our own place.”
“Then buy a flat and live in it. The fact that you couldn’t save up is your problem. You need to work harder, George!”
“To give you even more,” thought George, but he remained silent.
“If you want to stay, stay, if not, go back to renting. But know that rental prices have risen too.”
Ellie decided it was time to intervene, as George was struggling to reason with his mother.
“Agnes, but we’ve invested money into this home, and George is right.”
“Prove it legally, then. I own this place, and everything in it is mine. If you don’t like it, there’s the door.”
In the end, George and Ellie realized living with Agnes wasn’t the best choice. They opted to return to renting and started saving again, aiming at least for a down payment on a mortgage.
Meanwhile, Agnes had no complaints about her life. On the contrary, she often invited relatives over, proudly showing off the fantastic renovation. She no longer had to wash clothes or dishes by hand.
“The key is making the right decision at the right time,” she said her favorite phrase once more, continuing to enjoy her tea and sweets.
