Evelyn remembered all too well her conversation with that dreadful woman her son, Oliver, had married. She had done her best to dissuade him, but to no availat least at first. And really, that plain little provincial girl had far too much nerve.
“Listen, Evelyn. Why pretend to be the wise mother? I can see you despise mebecause I see right through you, and I wont bend to your will. What gives you the right to waltz into our flat uninvited every evening? We dont live off your money,” the brazen girl, Emily, had said to her.
“What? You dare lecture me? Just wait till you reach my age” Evelyns polite facade cracked, revealing the petty, narrow-minded woman beneath. All she cared about was comfort and sweetness in life, no matter whose pride she had to crush to get it. Everyone had to look out for themselves.
“Evelyn, Oliver and I love each other. And Ive noticed your little chats dont do him any good. Was it not enough that you drove out his father and convinced him to sign over his share of the flat? Now you wont even let him live in peace. If you cant love him yourself, at least let someone else try,” Emily shot back, relentless.
“Oh, so thats your tune now? Well, let me tell you something, you little guttersnipe! Who do you think you are? Some nobody from God-knows-where, with no prospects. One lost paycheck, and youll be on the streetspathetic little actress. And you dare tell me how to behave?” Evelyn snapped.
“So thats how you measure decency and dignity? If you swindle a flat and kick everyone out, youre a fine lady? But if I earn my own living, thats shameful? Not all of us marry for property and strip men bare!” Emily retorted. “And for your information, I know full well you werent born in London either.”
That stung. Evelyn had indeed come from a tiny village, once upon a timewith no education, no prospects.
“You will never be with my son! A mothers love is sacred! Get out!” Evelyn shrieked, resorting to the one argument she knew no one could challenge.
Emily merely scoffed and walked away. The fight changed nothingshe and Oliver married anyway.
But Evelyn didnt give up. When Emily had their son, Liam, she worked tirelessly to turn Oliver against his wife. Eventually, they divorced. Liam was only four.
***
Still, Evelyn feared her son might crawl back to that brazen little actress. She knew he still saw Emily sometimes, still paid child support. What she didnt know was that Oliver and Emily had never truly separatedthey still lived together, raising Liam, while Evelyn believed her son worked in another city.
This clever plan wasnt just for Evelyns sake. Long before the marriage, Oliver had fallen into debt after terrible business decisionslong before their “divorce.” Emily had warned him.
“Ollie, dont trust that Daniel. Hes a shark, and youre just a naïve boy next to him. Hell use you and toss you aside,” shed said.
“Em, youre exaggerating. Dans a good bloke. Men have to stick togetherthats how we survive in this world.”
“Im telling you, hes playing you. You go on about brotherhood, but decency isnt about gender. When will you grow up?”
He ignored her. Daniel made Oliver director of a shell company, then vanished with the funds, leaving him drowning in debt.
***
Better to live modestly on a civil servants wage than drag his family under. So they hatched the plansolve two problems at once. Evelyn was pleased her son was “free.” And Emily and Liam were safe from Olivers creditors.
Officially, he lived in company lodgings. But evenings, he came home to Emily and Liam in their cosy little flat. Oliver was happythough he still had to visit Evelyn once a month, enduring her matchmaking.
“Why not just tell your mum about the debts? And about us?” Emily asked.
“No it would crush her. Theres got to be another way,” Oliver sighed.
“But what? We cant hide forever. A secret family!”
There seemed no way out. Emily scraped by with odd jobs; Olivers salary mostly went to debts. They were barely scraping by. Sometimes he offered to leavebut Emily loved him.
***
“Em, you cant keep carrying him. Youve nothing yourselfrenting a room, feeding him Why? Youre not even married now!” Emilys mother, Margaret, was a schoolteacher. Shed take her daughter and grandsonbut not Oliver.
“Mum, I love him. We have Liam. I cant abandon him!”
Margaret had raised Emily alone. Shed hoped an ultimatum would workbut no. So she devised a plan.
***
“Well, Evelyn heres the situation.” Margaret had travelled from the countryside to confront Olivers mother in secret. “Hes in debt? And my daughters still with himlying to you?” Evelyn was livid.
“Yes. And shes supporting him from her meagre earningspaying rent, feeding him. I couldnt stay silent, though Emily forbade it.”
“The little liar! Pretending hes away for work!”
“What shall we do? Were the older generation. We must help them.”
“How?” Evelyn scoffed.
“Pool our savings. Mine are modest, but for my daughter and grandson.”
“Youre serious? My sons a grown man. I raised himthats enough! No help! I disown him!”
***
“Fine. Move in with me. Its cramped, but better than nothing.” After Evelyns refusal, Margaret relentedfor Emilys sake. They werent proud people.
“I dont mind” Emily murmured.
“What choice do we have? Sorry, Margaret Mum and I behaved terribly at the wedding.”
Oliver remembered mocking Emilys country relatives for not using cutlery properly. Now he knewthat didnt matter at all.
***
“I havent needed you in years. But our daughter needs help.” Margaret called her ex-husband, George.
“Of course, Maggie. Emilys my only child. Whats needed?”
“A home for her and Liam. And moneyif you can spare it.”
George had done well in construction. She expected refusalhed always been tight-fisted.
“How much?”
She named Olivers debt.
“Done. On one condition.”
“Reasonable, I hope?”
“Have dinner with me.”
Margaret laughedlike a girl again.
***
Years later, at Liams eighteenth birthday, the family gathered. Margaret and George held handslove had returned. After long courting, they remarried. Oliver and Emily were still together, too, though Margaret insisted they only remarry after Emily got the flat George bought her. Oliver had grown wiser, working steadily.
“Everyone here?” Liam asked.
The doorbell rang. They gasped as Evelyn stood on the threshold.
“Liam, we agreed!” Emily frowned.
“Mum, I felt sorry for her! She kept calling, saying she was lonely.”
“Not a word of apology all these years?” Margaret asked.
“Come on, Maggie. Without her, we wouldnt be together. And whos without fault?” George smiled.
“Mum, why this drama?” Oliver sighed.
“I just came to say sorry.” Evelyn looked small. Shed waited for them to beg. But no one camejust silence. And loneliness.
“I thought youd plead with me grovel. But Im not so terrible. Forgive me.”
A pause. Then someone poured tea, pushed snacks her way.
No one in this family used cutlery properly. But they had something betterkindness, joy, and forgiveness.
