For more than a decade, I havent spoken with my parents or my older sister. It dawned on me long ago that I was the overlooked daughter. Their attitude always seemed to be: everything for one, nothing for the other.
Sarah, the heart of this story, was seventeen when her older sister, Charlotte, fell pregnant and got married. Without hesitation, when Charlotte turned eighteen, their parents gifted her a lovely two-bedroom flat right in the heart of Manchester. Young and well-off, Mum and Dad saw no issue with such a generous present for their beloved eldest. They even renovated the place and filled it with brand-new furnishings.
Feeling left out, Sarah finally worked up the courage to ask, Would I be able to have a place of my own, too? Her parents dismissed her quietly: Youre still at university, darling. Well talk about these things when youre ready to settle down.
A few years later, at twenty-two, Sarah finished university. She wasnt getting married yet, but she longed for her own independence. When she brought up the topic again, the familys fortunes had shifted. Their business wasnt thriving the way it once had.
When were gone, the three-bedroom flat in Leeds will be yours, they reassured her in hushed tones. Its far grander than Charlottes. For now, well all live here together. Youll be able to look after us in our old age.
Sarah pondered their offer, torn. How do I make certain its official? she thought, anxiety simmering beneath the surface. Charlotte will have her claim to all of this as well. Shes already got a flat why would she need this as well? Deep down, Sarah suspected you could never own too many properties.
Looking back, she knew shed always recognised their unfailing devotion to her sister Charlotte. At the time, Charlottes husband was dealing with job loss, and despite their dwindling means, her parents did all they could to support them. For Sarah, though, there never seemed to be any helping hand.
Now, ten years on, the estrangement remains. Her parents took grave offence when Sarah asked for everything in writing and refused her outright. That was the final word so Sarah found herself a flat to rent and began life on her own.
All this time, her parents have made no effort at reconciliation, and what remains is Sarah alone, dependent only on herself to weather whatever comes.
