Before I married my wife, Emily, I spent three consecutive years working abroad. During that time, I managed to save up enough to buy us a flat. So, right after our wedding, Emily and I started hunting for a place we could call our own. It took quite some searching, but at last, we found just the right spota three-bedroom flat in the centre of Manchester, close to a Tesco and not far from a good school. The only catch was that it needed a fair bit of renovation work, and the price was fairly steep. I had enough in the bank to get the place, but renovations were another matter. Still, we thought it was worth it.
The rooms were spacious and full of natural light. Once the paperwork was sorted, we moved in without a second thought. We knew the repairs would take ages, so I asked my mother-in-law for a small loan. My plan was to keep working abroad and pay her back promptly. She turned me down, claiming she needed her savings for her younger daughter, who was still at university.
Years went byfour, to be exact. In that time, Emily and I made our flat a proper home with our own hands. We replaced the flooring, painted, got some decent furniture, and brought the whole place up to scratch. We both worked hard the whole time. Then we decided to start saving for a car. Some months later, Emily told me she was pregnant, and it was the happiest news Id ever had.
Lately, my mother-in-law, Susan, has been coming round nearly every day. She and Emily are always whispering in corners, and I couldnt help but notice something was up. Turns out, Susans other daughter has been pushing her out. The younger daughter brought her boyfriend homeshes planning to marry himand the chap made it clear he wouldnt move in unless Susan moved out. The daughter picked her bloke, so now Susans got nowhere to go.
Shes already handed over all her savings to her younger daughter. And unless Susan buys her a flat, the daughters refusing to move, as she and her boyfriend have no intention of living with Susan. So now my mother-in-laws decided shell move in with us. After all, theres plenty of room, and she figures its only fair.
When I found out, I put my foot down and said I wouldnt allow it.
When I needed help and asked for a loan, Susan didnt want to know. Now, suddenly, she expects to move in with us. Im firmly against it and said as much. I just havent figured out how to persuade Emily that this isnt the answer. Susans got a flat of her own to defend, and her younger daughter and her bloke can work out where they want to live.
Looking back, I realise that help and loyalty should go both ways, and sometimes you need to stand your groundeven when it isnt easyso you dont end up simply being taken for granted.
