6 a.m. this morning, my husband dragged me out of bed. At first, I thought it was just a bizarre accident, but the same thing happened again the next day. All of this began after wed spent a weekend visiting his mother in the countryside.
We’d only been married for half a year, but after this business I made up my mind: I was filing for divorce. The reason for his behaviour left me utterly stunned. Let me explain what happened.
I grew up in London and never really had a need to wake up early. These days, I work for an international firm; my hours swing late into the night due to the time difference with our American clients. So, whilst its bright outside here, Im still working away at odd hours.
My husband, Simon, is from a small village in Yorkshire, where people rise at the crack of dawn. Even after moving to the city, he kept his old habitsup at six every morning and expects a fried egg and a cuppa tea without fail.
Breakfast is always at seven, he told me the first time we met.
I laughed then and thought nothing of it. After all, following a night shift, I can nap during the day, so no harm done.
Over the first six months of married life, everything seemed perfectly fine. I did my best to go along with his routines, when I remembered, and we got along well enough. Our relationship appeared solid.
But everything changed after our visit to his mother. She lives on a tiny farm in a weathered yet cosy cottage. My first impression was of rustic bliss: homemade pies, warm quilts, and quiet chats over tea in the evening. The reality, though, was far from it.
Within a few hours, I realised the idyll was only a dream. My mother-in-law lost no opportunity to pass judgement or give me a telling-off.
The real trouble began the next morning.
She needs to be woken up, just like we do here, my mother-in-law said over breakfast, while I was still deep asleep. As I found out later, Simon decided to heed her advice and teach me the countryside way of waking up, by force if need be.
The first time he yanked me out of bed, I was furious and shocked.
What do you think youre doing?! I shouted, half scared, half outraged.
You never hear the alarm. Mum says this is the best way to get you moving, he replied, cool as marble.
But I work nights! I need some rest if Im to function at all!
This is how its always been in my family, Simon insisted, as if that explained everything.
The next morning, he did it again. I honestly felt as though Simon and his mother were having a laugh at my expense.
I couldnt understand how the man Id planned to spend the rest of my life with could change so suddenly just because his mother said something.
When we returned home, Simon was a different man. Hed drone on, Mum knows best. His sheer stubbornness finally convinced me we just arent compatible.
Now, Im sorting out the paperwork for our divorce. I simply cant tolerate it any longer.
If you were in my shoes, what would you have done? Or maybe, just maybe, I jumped to my decision too quickly?
If I’ve learned anything from all this, its that you cant force two people with such different backgrounds to fit together perfectlynot when even small things like when you wake up turn your life upside down. Sometimes tradition is just another word for expecting someone else to change for your sake.
