“It is impolite to speak of people over dinner whom the others don’t know” my mother in law said between bites.
I had been telling husband a little ancetode about someone we both knew, but his mother did not. I felt my wrists slapped. She then proceeded to talk about people of whom I didn’t know, and more to the point didn’t care.
In fact she took to talking about people I didn’t know for the next 8 years. Yes, she didn’t just come to supper she lived with us, breathed the same air.
I felt the familiar shrug of my shoulders that I had now perfected so that I felt it but it didn’t show.
“Of course you should have the new vicar over one afternoon” I realised this surreal sentence was aimed at me.
“sorry?”
“the new vicar, in my day we’d have had him over already of course, but as you don’t even go to church.” this last part of the sentence was said in an accusing tone. You’d think to hear her I worshipped black magic, danced around bonfires and read out odd incantations at midnight. The fact that I went to a chapel was far from the point. That didn’t count in mother in laws beliefs.
“does your friend still go to church?” my mind scrambled for who that friend might be, so answered with a safe “no, not now”.
“Shame, we could have asked her too. I suppose Jean could come”
“She doesn’t go to this church” - that was my husband's only contribution to the conversastion
“but at least Jean GOES to church” said mother in law again. I banged plates into the sink “and be careful with those plates!”
I wanted to swing around and say “how old am I? who’s house do you live in ?” but decided it was only giving fuel to an already full on blaze.
“I’ll ring Jean tomorrow and see if she can do Thursday”
“Do what on Thursday” I was asking.
“Tea with the vicar, I do wish you’d pay attention. I shall have to go and lie down for a while, you’ll manage this wont you?” and off she trotted, having conveniently forgotten her offer to help clear up the supper table.
I had been telling husband a little ancetode about someone we both knew, but his mother did not. I felt my wrists slapped. She then proceeded to talk about people of whom I didn’t know, and more to the point didn’t care.
In fact she took to talking about people I didn’t know for the next 8 years. Yes, she didn’t just come to supper she lived with us, breathed the same air.
I felt the familiar shrug of my shoulders that I had now perfected so that I felt it but it didn’t show.
“Of course you should have the new vicar over one afternoon” I realised this surreal sentence was aimed at me.
“sorry?”
“the new vicar, in my day we’d have had him over already of course, but as you don’t even go to church.” this last part of the sentence was said in an accusing tone. You’d think to hear her I worshipped black magic, danced around bonfires and read out odd incantations at midnight. The fact that I went to a chapel was far from the point. That didn’t count in mother in laws beliefs.
“does your friend still go to church?” my mind scrambled for who that friend might be, so answered with a safe “no, not now”.
“Shame, we could have asked her too. I suppose Jean could come”
“She doesn’t go to this church” - that was my husband's only contribution to the conversastion
“but at least Jean GOES to church” said mother in law again. I banged plates into the sink “and be careful with those plates!”
I wanted to swing around and say “how old am I? who’s house do you live in ?” but decided it was only giving fuel to an already full on blaze.
“I’ll ring Jean tomorrow and see if she can do Thursday”
“Do what on Thursday” I was asking.
“Tea with the vicar, I do wish you’d pay attention. I shall have to go and lie down for a while, you’ll manage this wont you?” and off she trotted, having conveniently forgotten her offer to help clear up the supper table.
