– That’s not right!!! After all, it’s his mother! He can put her in her own house! – Such utterances come from the mouths of relatives on my spouse’s part. I know that my friends are of the same opinion, but no one says anything to my face. The reason for this discussion is the situation with my mother-in-law. Barbara is 83 years old and weighs over a hundred pounds, she is often sick.
– Why don’t you move Barbara in with you? – asked her niece a couple of years ago, – It is good that you help her every day, but what if something happens at night? It is hard for her alone. After all, your Daniel is her only support.
It is clear that her only son, his only wife and only grandson will take care of her grandmother. Barbara hasn’t left the apartment once in the last five years. Her legs hurt and her weight prevents her from moving around. It all started thirty years ago. Back then her mother-in-law was energetic, young, healthy and bossy.
– Who did you bring to me? – The mother of my future husband Daniel was indignant. – For the sake of “this” I devoted my whole life to you?
After these words I silently walked away to the bus. At that time my husband’s mother lived in a prestigious suburban settlement in a big beautiful house. Her husband held a serious position, so Barbara lived well for a long time, though her spouse had died long ago. That day Daniel caught up with me and came with me. I was lucky with my husband: he did not blindly listen to my mother. He respects his elders, though. He tried to calm me down and explain that it was just such a character of mom’s.
After we got married, we started saving up for our own place. Daniel went sailing and didn’t come back for six months at a time. But within a few years we were able to buy an apartment, and later we completed our own house. We didn’t visit Barbara very often. She managed to tell tall tales about me to Daniel and everyone she knew. You see, my daughter-in-law won’t let me help my mother. What do you mean she does not allow it? After all, you have never refused to help.
She decided to move to the city, but the money she got for the house wasn’t enough. She suggested that we should pay more, and the apartment was registered in the name of our son, her grandson. But at the notary, she suddenly stated that the apartment should be written in her name, because her niece told her that this is how grandmothers are often left without a home. And then she said that she was going to sign the apartment over to someone who would take care of her in her old age. She wanted to be the lady of the house! She was furious that we would cheat her and leave her with nothing. It’s been almost twenty years since then. Everyone in the notary’s office heard her moaning and we felt very uncomfortable. We decided to register the apartment in his mother’s name. She moved in almost immediately and didn’t even let us do any normal repairs. She lived there for almost a month, and then she started complaining that everything was old, falling off and breaking down. My mother-in-law blamed her daughter-in-law for everything: she had found her a bad apartment and wanted to cheat her. The apartment was so bad, and my niece said so.
– You, mother, should be ashamed of yourself! You looked at the apartment before buying it, you didn’t let her do the repairs herself!
Barbara loved her niece’s children, but ignored her own grandson. She even pretended as if she did not remember his date of birth! A few years ago, her mother-in-law became ill. She had gained so much weight that it was difficult for her to move around the house. I used to bring her healthy, doctor-prescribed food. However, Barbara was cursing and refusing to eat, saying that only her niece was feeding her well and I was starving her.
And last year my husband started asking me to take her to his place, because she needs to eat right. According to him, my mother realized everything and realized that she had to listen to the doctor.
– Okay. – I agreed. – But I have conditions: the kitchen is only at my disposal, only I cook here and decide what we eat, and that no nieces should be here.
My mother-in-law was indignant and didn’t want to go, because she thought that she would come and be in charge of our house. But we have only one legitimate mistress! Just me! I had to visit her, clean, cook, even stay overnight. But my favorite niece expressed her worries about her aunt’s fate only over the phone.
My mother-in-law complained over the phone that I was starving her: I wouldn’t give her candy or smoked sausage. She asked me to come and bring her a cake. But she, referring to her busyness, postponed the visit. Although she lived three times closer than me. My niece came only once a month to bring something unhealthy and make a feast, while I took care of her every day.
One day my mother-in-law called my niece in front of me and complained that her necklace and cross were missing. She reported that we were both visiting her that day, but she was sure I had taken it.
And without talking, I put food on her table and picked up the chain and cross that had fallen behind the nightstand. At home I told my husband about everything and decided that I would not go to her anymore. I offered to enroll her in a paid boarding house. Daniel agreed.
