Stay out of it, this is my life!
Youre living off the charity of others while Im scraping by! Youre a grandmother, a mothercould you at least help once, for real? Emily snapped, hurt flashing in her eyes.
The absurdity was that at that very moment Emily sat at her mothers kitchen table, a guest in Margarets house. Margaret had thrown together a quick but decent spread: toast with homemade ham, thick slices of cheddar and smoked salmon, and fresh rolls from the bakery down the road. A crystal bowl held a modest assortment of fruitgrapes, pomegranates, mandarins. No exotic pineapple platters, but it was enough for a respectable English tea.
In the living room, her little grandson watched cartoons in a brandnew jumper, the one Margaret had bought just a few days earlier.
Emily, cut the drama, Margaret replied, irritation tinting her voice. Im the one who shoes him, dresses him, drives him to his developmental classes. I even pay for his medicines. Hes entirely on my shoulders. And you think thats not enough?
Its your grandson, isnt it? Who else would look after him? Emily shot back. Jack and I are already at our wits end. Loans, a mortgage, council tax, nursery fees After we clear all that, the only money left barely covers bread and spaghetti.
So whats my part in this? Margaret snapped. I didnt take out the loans for you. I didnt force you to have children. Did I make you sell the flat? You told me to stay out of it, so I stayed out. Now you expect me to owe you something?
Mum! Emilys brow furrowed. Look at how we live! I cant even do my own manicure because Ive run out of polish! My boots are falling apart; if I step in a puddle, my feet stay soaked, I catch a cold. Jack has only one decent shirt left. Were not living, were surviving. And you decide to raise me now! Its easy for you, you eat smoked salmon every morning!
Margaret listened, her lips pressed together. She knew she bore some responsibilityher love had been overprotective, almost smothering. But she also understood that no amount of cash could fix the damage; the lesson had to come through consequence.
Emily, havent I given you enough in life? the woman asked, narrowing her eyes. You had everything. You wanted a touchscreen phone when everyone else still used button phones you got it. You asked for a mink coat we bought it. I gave you a roof over your head. Youre no longer a little girl; you have to fend for yourself now.
Emily swelled with wounded pride and turned away, just as she had when, as a child, a toy was denied because there was no space left in the house.
Margaret remembered young Emily racing around the flat in a new tracksuit glittered with sequins. A brandnew computer sat in her room, a box of film cameras hidden in a cupboarda Christmas present. Emilys wishes changed faster than the pounds exchange rate. One week she wanted to be a photographer, the next a hairstylist, then an actress. Margaret could only keep opening her purse and signing her up for extra lessons.
Let the girl enjoy her childhood, James, Margarets husband, had laughed once. He was a career soldier, respected throughout the city, his salary allowing the family to never want for anything. Margaret also worked, more for the fulfilment than the money, preferring to stay active in the community rather than settle at home.
One afternoon Emily declared, I want to try felting! after watching a YouTube video.
Margaret drove her to a craft shop, handed her a basket, and in half an hour it was brimming with colourful wool. Other parents would have given a couple of skeins and a few needles, but Margaret believed fiercely in her daughters development. They could afford it, so why not?
Emily threw herself into each new hobby with gusto, only to abandon it weeks later for something else. It embarrassed Margaret, but she convinced herself Emily was simply testing herself. Emily, meanwhile, grew accustomed to having everything at a fingertip.
Then James died, leaving Margaret alone. She mourned, but at least the ground beneath her felt solid. Hed left her a modest fortune; the interest from the savings could have kept her comfortable, yet she worked until ill health forced her to stop.
Emilys conscience was clear. She paid for her mothers tuition in London, bought a onebedroom flat in a new development, and oversaw a full renovation. Margaret decided she had checked every box on the good mother list. Ive given her everything she needs to start, she told herself. Ill help while she studies, then shell manage on her own.
But the plan unraveled.
Emily had just entered her second year when she announced she had a boyfriend. Jack, too, owned an iPhone not the latest model, but functionaland was penniless. Both came from comfortable families, yet their attitudes were reckless.
Emily, finish your studies first, Margaret urged after meeting Jack. If you want to live together, go ahead, but dont rush. Get a qualification, stand on your own feet, then think about a family.
Mum, stay out of it, Emily replied, frowning. This is my life.
Margaret kept her distance, but life didnt follow Emilys script.
At first everything seemed perfect. They lived in Emilys flat; Margaret paid the council tax and handed over pocket money for food and clothes. The young couple spent their days bingewatching series and wandering the streets until dawn.
Jack soon quit university, declaring it pointless.
I only went because my parents wanted me to, he said. Its a waste of time. I wont follow that path.
Emily then dropped out of university as well, not for lofty reasons but because she was pregnant.
Mum, Im pregnant, she announced over the phone. Jack and I have decided. Ill keep the baby, maybe take a break from studies, then see what happens.
Emily Margaret sighed, covering her face with her hand, then steadied herself. If thats your decision, go ahead.
Will you help us? Emily asked, hope trembling in her voice.
Ill help the baby, Margaret said. Youre adults now. You have more than I did at your age. Figure it out yourselves.
A heavy silence hung.
Right everythings clear, then.
Emily hung up.
The following weeks were a cascade of tantrums, manipulations, and careful probing. She complained about a broken fridge, a wornout coat, low haemoglobin from poor diet. Margaret only reacted to the last, and then only because of the pregnancy and nursing.
The grandson shouldnt suffer because his parents are fools, she muttered, hauling grocery bags.
Then Emily dropped another bomb.
Were selling the flat. Well get a twobedroom house.
Emily think about it. The baby will still be with us.
No, Mum. Weve decided. We want a wedding, a honeymoon, everything proper.
Margaret clenched her teeth but didnt intervene.
Money slipped through their fingers like sand. A wedding with a banquet and photoshoot, new iPhones, laptops, a holiday in Spain, the deposit for a mortgage The young couple even took out loans.
Mortgage payments ballooned. More credit cards appeared. Soon Emily was complaining she didnt have enough to get through the month. Margaret fed the grandson everything he needed formula, purées, nappies and he had been living with her for the past six months.
Jack got a job as a TV operator and does courier work on the side. Ill start freelancing, well manage. Can you look after Leo for a while? Emily begged.
Margaret agreed, but only to a point. The child had everything. She could only offer advice, which the couple were unlikely to heed.
Emily stared out the window, then turned to her mother.
If you dont help, Ill take Leo, she threatened. And youll never see him again.
Margaret laughed, though a cold knot formed inside.
Fine. Lets see how fast you get fired and what youll survive on. Do you even have money for the nursery, dear?
Emilys face twisted with anger, her breathing loud, but she could not answer. In a few days she would have to return to Margaret, hand out an empty wallet, and face another bill.
You had everything. Im not to blame for the mess you made, Margaret continued. And you think you can drag Leo and me down with you? No. Youre adults; stumble on your own.
Emily didnt finish her sandwich. She rose, grabbed her coat, and strode out. Margaret didnt stop her.
When the door shut, Margaret slipped quietly into the lounge. Leo slept on the sofa, clutching a plush owl pillow. She turned off the TV so the boy wouldnt wake. For his sake Id move mountains, she thought, but for the two of them let life be the teacher.
