After visits from my husband’s relatives, the house looked as if it had been through a hurricane, my husband was embarrassed to make a remark to them, and I finally made up my mind — and after that they never dared to appear again 😏😲
Every summer our guests — my husband’s relatives — organized real feasts in our country house, completely forgetting about order. After their visits the yard looked as if a hurricane had passed through: trash, unfinished food, sticky traces on the veranda.
My husband was embarrassed to make a remark to them, and my patience had already run out.
This time James also approached me with his head down, understanding the tension. — They want to come again, — he murmured.
But I already knew that I would not allow it to happen again.
— Last month they devoured ten kilos of meat, and afterwards only cigarette butts and sticky traces remained on the veranda, — I nodded toward the old fence that had long needed repair. Even a small request to help with household chores caused a burst of irritation in them.
Mariana always remembered her “illness”: “Ekaterina, have you gone crazy? I have a hernia!”
Ivan added: “We gathered to rest, not to work.”
Oksana looked at James: “Is everything alright with your wife?”
I am fifty-five years old, and only now I realized: a real guest respects the house. The others — are just random fellow travelers.
— This month such a trick will not work. We invite them, but now in a different way.
James smiled.
— I completely agree.
😏😵 I took the phone, opened the chat “Family” and sent a message — after that they were not even seen nearby anymore.
Continuation at the link in the comments 👇
I took the phone, opened the chat “Family” and wrote briefly but clearly: “If you want to come this time, be ready to help: clean up after yourselves, wash the dishes, collect the trash, and only then — barbecue. Otherwise — do not come.”
After a few minutes the replies arrived. Mariana tried to justify herself jokingly: “I have a hernia!” Ivan added displeased: “We gathered to rest.” Oksana asked: “Is everything alright with you?”
I calmly replied to each of them: “The rules are the same for everyone. If you want to come — follow them. If you do not want to — stay at home.”
At first there was a pause in the chats, then — silence. The next day there was not a single “appearance” in our house. No one dared to come anymore without preparation and without following the rules.
James was smiling: finally our house became ours, and I realized that one decisive step can change everything. Now every visit is the guests’ choice, and not an obligation to tolerate other people’s whims.
