I never thought that it would ever happen. I was now feeling sorry for Anne, my Mother-In-Law. I was even feeling guilty for all the horrible things that I'd wished would happen to her. And that was a long list!
I met Rachel three years ago, and for some reason, that I still don't fully understand, her Mother took an instant dislike to me. Yes, I wasn't the doctor or lawyer that she might have hoped for, but I did have my own business, and being only twenty years old, I thought that she would be impressed with that. But she wasn't, and she didn't try to hide it.
"So Jake, you're an antique dealer?"
If Rachel had warned me that her Mother was a snob, I would have lied and said yes. But she hadn't, so I was truthful.
"No, it's not as grand as that. My shop just recycles things that people no longer want."
Then I did something that with hindsight, could only be described as a big mistake. I said, "I own a junk shop."
For a second or two, she looked horrified, and then she regained her composure. She was now stony-faced.
That set the tone for our relationship. From that first meeting, she's always looked down at me. Don't get me wrong, she's never openly rude. That's not her style. It's always subtle put downs and innuendos, that to the casual observer, might seem innocent.
When, a year later, we married, I thought that Anne would now accept me, and that our relationship would be better. But it wasn't. However, there was a change. I'd gone from being her Daughter's unsuitable boyfriend, to being her unsuitable Husband!
If only she'd treat me like Harry does, then we'd get on like a house on fire. He'd welcomed me into the family with open arms. And when I'd told him that we were going to get married, he'd given me a big hug.
"That's wonderful news. And I know that you will always look after my Daughter. I couldn't be more pleased."
And it was definitely 'I' rather than 'we', because all I got from her Mother was a forced smile and, "Congratulations," said through gritted teeth. And it must have pained her to say even that single word.
So why is she now getting my sympathy? It's because Harry has left her. And it was sudden, without any warning. When Rachel told me, I wasn't surprised. She treated him like a dog. The only surprise was that he'd stayed with her for so long. At first, I'd been pleased. I knew that I shouldn't gloat, but I couldn't help it. But when she came to our apartment, and I saw the hurt in her eyes, and the tear stains on her cheeks, I felt ashamed of myself. And I vowed that I would make amends. From now on, whatever help she needed from us, she would get.
And that's why, six months later, we were taking her to her Sister's place. She'd sold her apartment, but she hadn't yet found a new one. Until she did, her furniture was going into storage, and she would be living with her Sister.
That evening, I confirmed the arrangements with Rachel.
"So tomorrow we have to be at your Mother's apartment at ten?"
"Yes, and she's told me that we mustn't be late."
"And the storage firm will be finished by then?"
"That's what they've said."
If they weren't, then I wouldn't want to be in their shoes. Anne would tear a strip off them, and she would enjoy doing it.
"Did you warn your Mother about what she can take with her?"
"Yes. She knows that if she has too much stuff, then some of it will have to be left behind. Now is that everything? It's late, and I'd like to go to sleep."
"Yes."
In less than a minute she was asleep. And it wasn't long after, when I felt myself drifting off.
Despite getting up early, we ended up being fifteen minutes late. When we arrived, I expected her to be critical. Perhaps to suggest that for my next birthday, she would buy me a watch. But surprisingly, she didn't say anything. She must be cutting me some slack, because I was driving her to her Sister's place. Or perhaps it was because she now liked me? That thought nearly made me laugh, because her liking me, was never going to happen.
The storage firm had been, and all that was left in her apartment was what we were taking with us. And I was pleased that it wasn't a lot. It was in a corner of the room. Two large suitcases and a small box.
"You've done well. I thought that you'd have a lot more stuff."
"There is some more in the bedroom."
When I went into the bedroom and I saw it, I couldn't believe my eyes. It wasn't 'some', it was a lot. It was way too much, but I was determined to stay calm. Blowing my top would not help. Anne was fragile because she still hadn't got over Harry leaving. If I was to shout at her, she would probably burst into tears. And then Rachel would shout at me. It was best not to say anything.
It didn't take me long to get over it. I'd now gone from being annoyed, to seeing it as a challenge. And I'd realized that with some creative thinking, I might be able to get all of it into the car. I now had a plan, and I was explaining it to them. When I'd finished, Rachel was the first to speak.
"No, that won't work. It'll take us at least three and a half hours to get there. If it was just a short journey, then it would be OK."
When I looked at her Mother, I was expecting her to agree with Rachel, but thankfully she didn't, and she was surprisingly upbeat about what I'd said.
"It will work. And there isn't any other way of doing it. I'm sorry Jake, it's my fault, I should have put more of my things into storage."
Shocked? You could have knocked me down with a feather. My Mother-In-Law wasn't just being helpful, she had actually apologized!
When I started loading the car, I was optimistic that I could do it. And eventually I did. However, it took me an hour, and there was a lot of rearranging. But there was even more cursing and swearing. It had been difficult, and it had tested my patience.
"So what do you think?"
Anne was smiling, obviously pleased that I'd managed to fit everything in. Then I looked at Rachel. She was frowning, so I knew that she didn't like it. I was about to ask her why, when she spoke.
"It's too claustrophobic for me. You know what I'm like in confined spaces."
My plan was a good one, but I hadn't taken that into consideration. The car was so tightly packed, that there were now only two seats available. The driver's seat, and the back seat that was behind it. I was going to drive, and Anne was going to sit on her Daughter's lap. But now Rachel was objecting to it. Plan A wasn't going to work, so it was time for plan B. However, there was a slight problem. I didn't have a plan B!
But fortunately, my Mother-In-Law did. And it was a good one.
While looking at Rachel, she said, "What If you drive and I sit on Jake's lap?"
"I don't like driving."
Then, after she'd realized that it was either that or being in the back seat, she added, "But I'll do it."
When I got into the car, I could understand why Rachel had decided to drive. There wasn't a lot of room. To the front and side of me was a wall of boxes, suitcases, and plastic bags that were so full, it looked as if they were going to burst. I wasn't claustrophobic, but I would be glad when we got to our destination.