My in-laws left to work in another state years ago. By the time I started dating Alex, they had already settled in California. Of course, they went there to make more money.
But here’s the surprising part — in all these 15 years, they haven’t sent us a dime. It really hurt and upset me. Not for our wedding, not when the grandkids were born — nothing. We didn’t even receive a package of groceries from Florida. You’d think they could at least send some toys for the grandkids or some chocolate. But no, our kids wear second-hand clothes while my in-laws are raking in the cash!
Even when our eldest son needed surgery, we had to take out a loan because my in-laws refused to help.
Once, I bumped into a friend of Helen’s (my mother-in-law), and she let it slip how much they were making over there. I won’t name a figure, but let’s just say it’s at least four times Alex’s salary.
You know, if it weren’t for the unemployment situation, I wouldn’t have even mentioned money. But everything’s different now. I lost my job, Alex got laid off, and now he’s looking for a second one. Our money barely covers the basics — food and utilities. We’ve even started cutting back on ourselves. I don’t buy makeup anymore, no manicures either.
Our house is small, just one story. I inherited it from my grandmother. About eight years ago, we renovated it when we only had our eldest, David. Now we have two daughters — Mia and Lily, and the house feels cramped like a tiny shoebox. We thought about selling it and buying a bigger apartment, but when I saw the prices, I almost fainted.
So we decided to build a second floor and add two more rooms to have enough space. We didn’t want to take out another loan, so I asked my in-laws for help. I baked a cake, went over, and explained the situation. Helen nodded, listening sympathetically:
“Well, okay, we’ll help you somehow. Times are tough right now. God willing, we’ll manage.”
If I had known what kind of “help” that would turn out to be, I would’ve taken a bank loan instead. I never imagined my mother-in-law could stoop so low.
On Saturday, around lunchtime, she pulled up in a brand-new SUV. She opened the trunk and pulled out… 10 chicks and 10 ducklings.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Well, you asked for help. Here’s some livestock! Feed them, raise them for meat, and the eggs will come in handy too. Consider it your starting capital!”
I didn’t know what to say. Alex was so furious that he started yelling at his mom loud enough for all the neighbors to hear. By evening, I had sold all the chicks and ducklings to people in the village because I saw no point in keeping them.
While my mother-in-law drives her new car, buys expensive clothes, and vacations in luxury resorts, my kids wear second-hand clothes and share one bed between the three of them.
What’s going on in their heads? Are they really putting money above their own family?