Second Helpings

Here we go Again

Nine days into the New Year and why am I feeling this is going to be another difficult one already?

Five years to the day of my son's bizarre marriage, things kicked off again and I can't see a happy ever after on the horizon.

It's a long story, but basically Mey Ling's father has been involved in some sort of accident at work in Cambodia and is supposedly in hospital. In her usual drama queen manner she's predicting his demise and demanding to go out there, with no regard for the expense, her family here or the children's schooling. Admittedly it's a long time since she visited last when her mother was at death's door, but both have managed to survive another three years. They were saving up to go for a holiday later this year, but now I have no idea what will happen.

As a result of not complying with her wishes we've all been wiped from her Facebook friends yet again, she refused to join Paul on an arranged night out on Saturday and has threatened to sell the iPhone I bought her for Humbug to finance her fare. I am also accused of not knowing my own son and always believing him and not her. According to her, she's the victim, he gives her nothing and is cruel to her, she does everything for him and the world and his wife are responsible for all her problems as she creates none.

I am not unsympathetic to her feelings or the fact she misses her family and her country, but she is proving over and over again that she has no consideration for anyone but herself, is demanding, volatile, unreasonable and intent on causing confrontation no matter how reasonable people try to be.

The difference is now I think my son's rose-coloured glasses have finally dropped off and he's reaching the point where he's willing to admit he made a big mistake and things cannot continue in this way. We had the children this weekend while he went out to the arranged party and she stayed at home. When he arrived back with the children last night she wasn't in, he had no key, her phone was switched off and he was genuinely worried something bad may have happened to her. She finally arrived home at midnight and continued ranting. Not the actions of a caring mother or wife in my humble opinion.

I have no idea where we go from here. I do know he will have got up with the kids this morning as usual, washed, dressed and fed them before taking them to school, then taken time away from his demanding job to fetch them, thus having to make up the time at work later. I imagine she'll have stayed in bed as usual nursing her wounds and be on her phone and laptop complaining to her cronies about her awful life and husband.

Things will calm down I suspect, but if they return to any semblance of normality we are all aware it won't be long before there's another altercation and the cycle will continue and it just cannot go on. Our concerns are of course for the children and our son, though I do not wish any harm to Mey Ling, but realise she's never going to change or adapt when she can't get her own way.

Next life I'm booking the most uneventful, boring and ordinary one I can find.