My Mum who is retired and lives on her own is really unwell. She has been hospitalised, and has since been discharged, but still very poorly, while she waits for a procedure which she will be in about 3 or 4 months time.
Me and 2 other siblings have been caring for Mum since she became ill about 6 weeks ago - calling every day to prepare meals, do dishes, laundry, shopping, make cups of tea, have a chat etc. Even when she was in hospital there was a fair amount in terms of laundry, visits etc. We all have DC, jobs etc, but it is no problem to do it as we are all really worried about Mum. Another sibling has even flown home from abroad to help out.
Mum is finding it really hard to get up and down stairs - thank goodness she installed a downstairs bathroom a couple of years ago. Yesterday she said she was thinking of buying a 3 seater sofa so that if she is too unwell to go up to bed, she can stretch out on a longer sofa and sleep on it (she only has a 2 seater sofa at the moment).
We have a further sibling, the baby of the family, who works abroad - let's call her Barbara. She is single with no DC. She moved out of her flat here about 8 years ago, and moved abroad to study, and now works abroad - it is unlikely she will ever return to live here. She has used 2 of the bedrooms in my Mum's house to store her furniture and possessions since then, making these 2 rooms unusable, but Mum doesn't mind.
When Mum said yesterday about buying a sofa, I immediately thought of Barbara's 3 seater sofa which has been in one of the bedrooms for the last 8 years. This would be a perfect solution, as Mum isn't even well enough to go shopping for a sofa, doesn't really have the income to be able to afford it (would be using savings), and probably only needs to use it for about 6 months until she has had her procedure and recovered. I suggested this to Mum, who said she would ask Barbara.
So today I was speaking to one of my siblings, who told me Mum had asked Barbara if she would be able to use her sofa. Mum had given assurances that she would care for it, use throws etc. Barbara has said no, she doesn't want Mum to use it.
[Mouth hangs open] Un-fucking-believable. So, is she being unreasonable?
I'm sorry, but I'd be sabotaging that sofa! <<evil>>
What's so special about it anyway? Did she lose her virginity on it? Give birth to her first child on it?
She needs to move her shit, so that when your mum has her procedure, people can stay and look after her.
Fairylea
Wed 21-Nov-12 18:35:15
I would just use it. If it's unlikely she will ever come back then she will never know... and if she does come back and find out then.. oops. Tough shit.
Any news Beryl? How did the family conflab go?
I hope your Mum gets better and I have nothing else really to add, other than total 
and incredulous at the cheek of your youngest sister
Truly breathtaking in her selfishness and self entitlement
The sisters went out - we didn't discuss it.
I talked to my Mum the other day, not about Barbara and the sofa, but about what we can do for her - I wanted to move her single bed to the living room, but Mum is resistant because it would look so 'old person', having a bed in the living-room, which I agree with. She is going to look at day beds or chaise long.
NervousAt20
Mon 26-Nov-12 08:36:45
that's disgusting! Your mum should say fair enough, you've got a week to get your shit out of my house or its going out on the streets I know she probly wouldn't but its what she deserves
MistressIggi
Mon 26-Nov-12 10:39:05
It seems very odd that you didn't discuss this with your other sisters when you had the opportunity to.
It seems you are all enabling her behaviour for some reason (and surely by doing so, not supporting your mum?)
I didn't raise it because I don't want to be accused of stirring things. There is previous experience of me being made the scapegoat of the family. I feel bad enough that I raised the damn sofa in the first place.
I have no idea why my other sisters didn't discuss it. Barbara is coming to my house for Christmas day - I plan to tell her before that I am not impressed at her behaviour.
Seems a bit odd, especially her offering some money towards a new one. Do you think the has old love letters stuffed down the back of the cushions or something?
Theicingontop
Mon 26-Nov-12 16:39:29
Use it anyway. Anyone who could be that possessive over a piece of furniture (that she's stuffed in a room for 8 years) to the detriment of their own mother doesn't deserve to have their wishes abided by.
MistressIggi
Mon 26-Nov-12 17:02:06
Tell her to spend Christmas with her fecking sofa.
cazza40
Mon 26-Nov-12 17:15:35
Your sister is a complete bitch
LemonBreeland
Mon 26-Nov-12 17:22:35
It is so wrong that you are all pussyfooting around this selfish bitch. I feel so sad for your Mum.
Surely it would be usef for people to be able to stay with your Mum once she has had her procedure. Find a reason to get your sisters shit out of your Mums house.
Rudolphstolemycarrots
Mon 26-Nov-12 18:25:11
Tell her that the stuff needs to be moved into storage if she can't be bothered to show any consideration for mums illness or the use of her space.
Adversecamber
Mon 26-Nov-12 19:17:07
Sounds like all the sisters are scared of Barbara, what an utter cow your sister is. I am afraid I would fall out with any of my sisters that treated my Mum like this and my Mum is not a very nice person at all. I am one of five sisters one has fallen out with two of the others. She was evil to them and I didn't have anything to do with her for three years. I let her back in to my life and she was badly behaved yet again.
LemonBreeland
Mon 26-Nov-12 19:26:25
I would also like to know why you are having her to your house for Christmas. She wouldn't be welcome if she was my sister.
Everyone is coming to my house on Christmas day. They always do. It would be completely out of order to exclude her, 2 wrongs not making a right and all that. Having said that, I am not prepared to pander to her usual dietary requests this year, such as making a special dish of braised cabbage just because Barbara likes it.
She comes home 2 days before Christmas, so I am planning to ask her then why she wouldn't let Mum use her sofa, not that it will make a jot of difference by then, as Mum won't use it.
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