How I Embarrassed My Mother-in-Law. I Bet She Still Remembers It Today
This story happened right at the start of my married life, when my husband and I had just tied the knot. There was something odd I noticed, but at the time I didnt really bother about it. It wasnt anything to do with my husband he was and still is the perfect match for me the peculiarity was in his mother, my mother-in-law.
It all began at the wedding: she looked as sour-faced and tense as if she were attending a funeral, not a celebration. Afterwards, her behaviour seemed strange, and as my husband and I were still young, with no flat of our own, we had no choice but to live with her.
The moment we crossed her threshold, she greeted us with such heartfelt kindness that I believed she genuinely wished us happiness. I guessed her seriousness at the wedding was simply due to her poor health. However, behind her half-hearted smile lurked a passive aggression, sprinkled with sly little jibes. To irritate me even further, she would find subtle ways to reproach me.
For example, she would get up in the middle of the night to rewash the plates I had cleaned the evening before. Once, I caught her and asked, What are you doing? She feigned innocence and replied, Just cleaning the dirty dishes.
So, my washing up isnt good enough? I wondered, and began to doubt her goodwill for good.
Still, for a long time, I mistook her gentle rebukes for motherly advice. Sometimes, Id even confide in her about the little quarrels I had with my husband.
It so happened that a good friend of mine became a driver at my mother-in-laws workplace. Through her colleagues there, he began to hear gossip about our marriage but according to my mother-in-law, my husband was hopeless and clingy, while I was a troublemaker only after her flat!
The Family Games
From that day on, I realised that my mother-in-law was actually my secret adversary.
Nature had gifted her with an extreme passion for cleanliness her home was spotless, almost like a hospital. She expected nothing less from me and my husband. We did our best to keep up, but she was never truly satisfied.
When she went on a two-week business trip, she insisted that we keep the flat immaculate. The slightest speck on the carpet or stray hair in the bathroom sent her into a tizzy, and the sight of unwashed dishes nearly triggered a meltdown. So, when she was around, my husband and I became obsessed with tidiness.
During her time away, we planned to relax a little only tidying up for her return. Knowing us well, she gave us a false date for her homecoming and planned to arrive, unexpectedly, with her friends, eager to catch us off guard and make me look foolish in front of her guests.
But my friend caught wind of her scheme and let me know. Furious, I decided to prepare. I cleaned the entire flat until it gleamed and then waited calmly.
My mother-in-law arrived with a gaggle of friends and her smiling driver. Quietly, with a knowing smirk, she unlocked the door and ushered them in, like the leader of a parade.
You should have seen her face when they stepped inside and found the flat sparkling, cleaner even than her standards demanded. Her friends shot her puzzled glances and whispered behind her back, while I emerged coolly (wiping my brow and putting the vacuum away) and asked,
Where did you find a rug as spotless as this?
My mother-in-law was mortified. She frowned so deeply she almost disappeared into herself, scanning every corner as I inwardly cheered: You wont find a thing, not a thing!
So she was left humiliated, and became the laughing stock at work. Her tales were no longer believed, and even those who used to side with her began to see things my way. Her pride suffered a real blow, and although its been seventeen years, Im certain she still remembers.
So what did I learn? Sometimes, those who try hardest to cut you down end up tripping over their own schemes. A little patience, a bit of cleverness, and staying true to yourself can turn the tables, earning you respect where you least expect it.
