We built everything ourselves my husband and I. We have good jobs, a flat in London, a car, and a little cottage in Cornwall. There was a time when we had nothing at all; both of us grew up in rural villages, and our families were barely scraping by. We started from the very bottom took chances, worked hard, and somehow it paid off. On my side, I still have relatives who live in quite poor circumstances.
One day, I travelled up to their home and the sight of their living conditions shook me to the core. My husband and I decided, there and then, to help them. Before all this, they hardly kept in touch with us. When we visited the village, they didnt offer us anything not even a cup of milk or some fresh eggs yet they always seemed to expect support from us.
In the beginning, theyd thank us for our help, but soon enough, it became more of a demand, as if we owed them something. Then, one afternoon, my aunts daughter showed up at our place, bags in tow. From the sheer amount of her belongings, I realised she meant to stay for a while. I asked her why shed come, and she announced, without a hint of hesitation, that she planned to study in London and would be living with us. I stood there, utterly shocked by her boldness. They hadnt called ahead, hadnt checked if it was alright, hadnt even asked just packed her things and sent her to us.
When I phoned my aunt to ask why theyd done this, why they hadnt checked if it was convenient for us, she was outraged and baffled by my reaction. She claimed we had loads of space, so her daughter should live with us. But when did a two-bedroom flat ever become loads of space? I explained we were in the middle of renovations and there simply wasnt any room for her.
She started shouting at me, saying I was no longer family to her, and hung up. Her daughter followed suit rude and abrupt, she stormed out of the flat.
I tried to reason with her, to explain nicely, but she wouldnt listen. She acted as if Id thrown her out onto the streets for no good reason. My own mother didnt understand at first, but after a good talk, things settled between us. Those relatives havent reached out since not to us or my parents and they wont accept any help. Honestly, Im not even sure if I did the right thing.
What do you think?
