Mum was always terribly strict with me. Dad, on the other hand, was perpetually gallivanting around on business trips while Mum managed everything on her own. Dad loved me, of course, but every return home was a festival of gifts, as though he was trying to buy my affection. Mum, meanwhile, preferred to ration out affection like it was tea bags during the war. One day, Dad went off on another tripand never came back.
At school, I was friendless. My wardrobe consisted of a bedraggled uniform Mum had fished out of a charity shop basket. Her favourite saying was: Wear whatevers handy. First I need to get my life sorted, and I havent any money for you. So, I sported that ghastly outfit for all of Year Five, looking rather like a Dickensian orphan.
Eventually, a kindly neighbour gave me her daughters old school uniform after she finished her GCSEs. I wore that until I graduated, and as for shoes, I made do with whatever happened to be lying around, squeezing my feet in until they finally protested and gave up. Somehow, I managed to finish secondary school with flying colours and headed off to university, choosing Economics as my subject. At uni, I continued to parade about in cast-offs donated by my slightly bored mates.
One day, I met Dominic, whod graduated a few years before. We started dating and soon enough, he introduced me to his parents. When I visited their house, I was mortified by my battered, rain-soaked shoes. My feet were positively soggy, but Dominics mum acted as though nothing was amiss. The very next day, she invited me round and gifted me a brand-new pair.
I worried endlessly that Dominics parents wouldnt warm to me, but soon they treated me as though I was part of the furniture. No idea what I did to deserve their kindness, but they even went so far as to give us a house as a wedding present. After graduation, my mother-in-law offered me a job at her company, and the salary was splendidwhy, I could finally buy my own things without scrounging from friends. Ill never stop thanking my lucky stars for getting me through all that.
When Mum discovered I was married, gainfully employed, and the proud owner of my own flat, she wasted no time showing up at my door to request financial help. Unfortunately for her, my stepmother overheard our little chat and promptly summoned my husband and son home. My husband explained to Mum in no uncertain terms that she shouldnt expect anything further from me. He told her, quite diplomatically, that he was grateful to have a daughter, but she really oughtnt to appear at our doorstep again. Since then, Mum hasnt been in touch, and now Im counting down the days until my baby arrives.
