When my mother-in-law died, it turned out that she had written a will. She bequeathed her three-room apartment to her children: her daughter Helena and her son Philip. Philip is my husband. Philip and Helena consulted and decided that they would rent the apartment and split the money in half. So they did. And for three years now they have been renting this apartment. They get 25,000 each.
For my husband and me it is not a lot of money, because my husband earns very well. We live in a nice two-bedroom apartment. We have a nice dacha and two cars. Our children go to grammar schools, and we pay a lot of tutors who work with our daughter to get her into university.
And then recently we went to my husband’s aunt for her anniversary. My aunt invited all her relatives. And during the conversation we found out that Philip and Helena were renting an apartment and were splitting the money in half. And the aunt suddenly declared at the top of her voice:
– How can you Philip take money from your sister? After all, you’re rich, and your sister has such problems with money!
Helena really lives very modestly. She is divorced. She has a seven-year-old son. She lives with her son in her ex-husband’s apartment. Her husband does not pay alimony, but he lets her live in his apartment. He is away to earn money.
Helena’s son is sick and so she cannot get a regular job. She only works part-time. She lives on the money she gets from renting the apartment and the money she manages to earn.
– Her sister should have left her apartment to her daughter! After all, Philip has all the money in the world! – My husband’s aunt told me.
I understand that Helena doesn’t have enough money. But she tries to get by and never asks for help. She and Philip have a good relationship. Philip often gives his nephew gifts.
We always take my sister and her son with us on holidays and picnics. She has never talked about Philip giving up the money they get for renting the apartment. Philip is not a greedy man, but he’s not going to give up the money. And he is not going to change his mind. And I don’t want to interfere at all: let him deal with his sister and the money issues himself.
