Before her divorce, Emily cared for her child alone, but later found a nannyher former mother-in-law.
Before the separation, Emily had managed everything herself, yet in time she sought help. She found it in her ex-husbands mother. At first, she asked if the woman knew anyone who might assist, but her former mother-in-law offered her own servicesnaturally, for a fee. Emilys wages were modest, and she had to be frugal.
At work, I had a colleague who struggled. She hardly took care of herself, never visiting a beautician. I often wondered where her earnings went. She lived with her parents, free from the burden of a mortgage, yet her child was looked after by her ex-husbands mother, and she still received maintenance payments.
It turned out Emily had to pay her parents rent for her room and her former mother-in-law for the childs care. How could things come to this?
Six months ago, when Emily first joined our workplace, we became friends. Before long, we discovered much in commonsimilar interests, children of the same age.
She told me straightaway that she had divorced her husband and moved back in with her parents. They were well-off, both in their fifties, holding respectable positions. They owned a countryside house and spent every holiday abroad. After their daughter returned, they gave her a single room to call her own.
I assumed she might live there without charge, but nofrom the very beginning, they demanded payment. Though Emily was grateful to be with family rather than strangers, it was better for her child too.
They even allotted her a separate shelf in the fridge. She never touched her parents belongings, though she occasionally treated her child to fruit from their kitchen.
I couldnt fathom such behaviour, especially as Emily had left her marriage with nothing. For the first months, she was in debt to her parents.
Before the divorce, she had cared for her child alone, but later sought a nanny. She found oneher former mother-in-law. At first, she asked if the woman knew anyone willing, but she offered herselffor a price. Emily agreed, thinking it a sound choice. The woman knew her grandchilds habits, what he liked, what he didnt, what he could and shouldnt do. She was dependable. Whenever needed, the grandmother stepped in.
It might have worked, but Emily had no money to sparebarely enough to get by, let alone for any luxury.
I simply couldnt understand how parents could treat their own child this way.
