It all starts on a Wednesday evening when my dad sends a message in the family group chat, insisting that we must all meet up on Sundayno excuses allowed. He says its urgent. He says its something important and everyone has to be there.
Immediately, my mind jumps to the worst possible conclusion.
My sister and brother think the same.
We ring each other, all equally convinced: its about health, a diagnosissomething terrible.
He never asks for family meetings. Ever.
Even my aunt travels in from Manchester, thinking its going to be some sort of farewell or crisis.
We all arrive trembling, throats tight and hands clammy from nerves.
When we see him sitting in the lounge, wearing a serious expression, nobody utters a word.
Mumlong separated from him, but still therewatches him anxiously.
He begins with lines such as,
These are difficult times
Life changes
Sometimes you need to make bold choices
He speaks slowly, as if hes about to tell us something absolutely crushing.
My throat closes up.
Were all bracing for some dreadful news.
And then he says:
I need some financial help for a while.
Were stunned.
But then he adds,
To start a project with my partner.
We think he means a business partner.
Until he spells it out, shamelessly:
With my girlfriend.
A woman he met just six months ago.
Almost the same age as me.
I go cold.
My sister swallows hard.
My mum is frozen.
Every thought of illness and tragedy simply vanishes.
All thats left is indignation.
He carries on: the girl has dreams; he wants to support her; they need money to open a little café.
And because hes always been there for us, now he expects us to be there for him.
Anger wells up in me.
Proper anger.
Because hes never been there the way he claims.
Never paid full maintenance.
Never showed up for school plays.
Never checked whether we had enough to eat.
But nownowhe wants us to bankroll his image for his new girlfriend.
My brother tells him that if he wants to look after a young woman, he ought to work harder for it.
That its not our job to fund his whims.
Hes offended.
He says its not a whim, its love.
My sister nearly bursts out laughing.
I stay silent, knowing that if I speak Ill probably say something Ill regret.
He keeps insisting he needs a family loan, but he cant sign anything because he doesnt want to damage trust.
In the end, none of us agree.
He storms up, accuses us of being ungrateful, of not knowing how to support one another, claiming this is how families fall apart.
My mum just answers quietly:
Families fall apart when someone stops playing their part.
He leaves, slamming the door.
His girlfriend even messages me on WhatsApp:
I never knew what love was until I met him.
Can you imagine.
I didnt even bother to reply.
Since then, he hasnt spoken to us.
Hes blocked my brothers.
He sends me a separate message saying he expected more from me.
I dont know if I did the right thing or not.
But I know this much:
If he wants to shine in front of his young girlfriend,
he can do it with his own moneynot ours.
