The inlaws started stopping by, and I hinted that they might just as well collect their own daughter and grandchildren and head back. They waved their hands like theyd never heard a word.
I heard the gate close behind the daughterinlaw, but I didnt mind she liked to wander off by herself, no kids in tow. My husband and I had long accepted that wed be the ones feeding, entertaining and sometimes even tucking in the grandkids, because the young couple were either out and about or catching a nap.
When she didnt pop back for the night, I stopped worrying.
Tom, wheres Emily? I cant get a hold of her!
Mum, shes off on a break.
What time is it? She should be back by now.
Mum, shes gone up to the Lake District with her friends.
Tom stayed calm, but my head was buzzing. How could she give me not a whisper? What kind of relationship is that?
Then another realization hit me, and I couldnt rest.
When my son married Emily, they were both about twenty. Ian moved in with Emma because, well, they were both single and each wanted a husband in the picture. I had no objections.
Soon they had a first little one, then a second.
Heres where the circus truly began. Tom would bring the grandkids in a stroller, dash off to his own errands, and in the evening Emily would swing by, the kids would all have dinner at our place, and then theyd all head back to her house.
For me it was a joy to play with the grandkids they werent here very often, and Emily lived on the far side of the village. You cant just pop over in a jiffy.
But then they started showing up more and more, first for evening visits, then staying over when it rained or snowed. My husband and I were simply delighted.
I did my best to make sure the kids had something to eat, took them for walks so the parents could catch a nap, helped with baths and laundry.
One day the kids announced they were moving in with us, and I tasted a little triumph. Im the best granny and the best mum the kids finally see it! I thought.
Bob (my husband) still travelled for work, sometimes all over the UK, but earned a decent poundsalary. I kept the house running. Cooking, cleaning, even looking after the tiny parttime housekeeper wed hired all on my own.
But somewhere around my seventies I started getting weary. The kids each wanted their own meals, not the family casserole, and Emma was often tied up with her own errands, leaving the children in my care.
How do I tell her? I thought. She wasnt my child, after all. So I mentioned to Ian that maybe they could wash their own dishes and tidy up a bit, because I was getting knackered.
Mum, Emmas expecting another baby, she cant even step into your kitchen the smell is too strong. She didnt want to tell you, but could you perhaps tidy up a little? She cant even spend a minute in there.
That sent a shiver down my spine. Another baby? Tom and I were already running on empty; our eldest grandchild woke at the crack of dawn to watch the telly in our bedroom and stayed until the small hours, refusing to move. Emmas little one would be fed and put to bed, while David was still at home.
Tom, the kids should stay with you.
Mum, we need bigger furniture theres no room at all. Maybe you could move to the kitchen and well turn your bedroom into a nursery.
I blinked. Our cottage had two bedrooms, a pantry, a hallway and a kitchen the size of a cupboard.
Tom, where will we fit in? The sofa is already stretched to the limit; theres nowhere to even put a foot.
Then dont worry about David falling asleep on us.
And so a little cot for the grandkid appeared in our bedroom. Hed waddle over to his parents, theyd bring him back, and the whole night turned into a flurry of shuffling. I couldnt sleep; by morning my head felt like a sack of potatoes.
The inlaws turned up again, and I slipped them a hint that perhaps they could fetch their own daughter and grandchildren. They waved their hands as if saying, Weve lived with you five years, but youve only been here a year, so dont count on us.
I realised once more that things werent as they ought to be, but where could I run off to?
The daughterinlaw never helped even before the third child arrived; she always found a reason to be elsewhere Im watching the kids, Im out for a walk while we were toiling in the garden and everyone else was glued to their phones.
Now she cant bend over, cant hold a baby, cant cook everything meets her with a reaction. Shes gone on a road trip, wont answer her phone, told nothing to anyone except her husband. Were worried; the kids miss mum, and she isnt calling, just resting.
Tom, who did she leave the kids with?
Me.
Oh, great, I muttered, feeling my vision darken, Then feed them and get them to sleep.
Tom has no idea what the kids love to eat or how they drift off, and I turned to Bob:
This is the last straw; I wont even lift a finger.
We ended up sleeping in the kitchen, trying not to disturb Tom. He woke in a sour mood, but I pretended not to notice. The kids wanted toast one minute, chicken the next, and I pointed Tom at the fridge:
All in there, love, youre on wife duty now.
It went on for two days until Ian phoned Emily, begging her to come back because he couldnt cope. She showed up with a smile and an absurd amount of cheer.
So I had to travel all the way from there? Cant you fry an egg or boil some pasta? she shouted, loud enough for both of us to hear.
She lunged for the pots while the fridge stared back empty.
Where are the groceries?
The ones you bought? I asked.
Do you mind giving me some eggs? Or potatoes?
No, I dont mind. Dig up the chickens, collect the eggs, go to the shop and put something in the fridge.
She then scooped the kids up, marched to their mother and declared that shed never set foot in our house again. Tom turned on us, saying his inlaws made him feel awful. My husband and I clutched each others hands tightly.
All the while the kids never asked who was paying for the food, never thanked us for the meals, never bought anything they liked.
Is this the wage we get for all our effort?
I sit here, pulling at my hair, wondering why my kindness is repaid like this. I did everything out of love why did they behave so? What do you think?
