Mum, he wants me to do it for him He says all good wives can manage So does that mean Im not good? Teach me, please If everyone else can do it, then I ought to as well
Even now, it still astonishes me that my niece managed to find herself a husband, and all because of her mother.
When Emily was a child, my sister refused to let her go to nursery school; as a teenager, she wasnt permitted to go out with friends, hardly left the house, and became quite the recluse. Even when she attended university here in London, her mum insisted Emily return home by six each evening. She was twenty years old when my sister rang her at half seven and scolded her for not being home yet. It was completely absurdtheres simply no other word for it.
Emily met her future husband in her second year at university. They struck up a friendship at the libraryhe was two years her senior and willingly lent her his notes, helped her study, and before long, hed fallen head over heels. Soon enough, he began courting her, and that was when Emily started to boldly defy her mothers rules.
Eventually, Emily married, and her mother, albeit reluctantly, allowed her to carve out a life of her own.
Not long ago, I witnessed an incident thats stayed with me. I was sat in my sisters sitting room when Emily phoned. Her voice was trembling between laughter and tears, words tumbling out so quickly it was hard to understand:
Mum, he wants me to do it for him He says thats what all good wives do Am I not a good wife? Please teach me If they can all manage it, I ought to be able to as well
My sisters face changed in a flashshe calmly told Emily to settle down and asked her exactly what it was these good wives could manage.
Supper, Mum, she finally admitted, and at that, we both burst out laughing.
Dont laugh at me! You never taught me how to make it. Ive tried following recipes online, but they never come out right!
So together, my sister and I carefully talked her through every step of making soup, sometimes chuckling and poking fun at our own expense.
That evening, Emily rang again to thank us. Her husband had paid her a lovely complimentthe soup was delicious. And now, she declared quite proudly that she was, at last, a proper wife!
