Sooooo.....was having a lie in this am while DH was downstairs with DS (DD sleeping) and he comes up at 9am and says, your mother's just phoned me (he didn't pick up) check your phone.
sure enough...a voicemail. "I have a serious problem, the police have been here and I need a plumber".
So, I ring her and it's all sobbing and histrionics and gasping for breath. Outside in the street, where the water meter is, the tube had popped out of place and sent water gushing down the street at 2am. The neighbour saw it and rang DM's doorbell but it doesn't work. She called the local police who cut the water and rang but doorbell not working. The police came back this morning and the bell worked so they told her she had no water and what had happened and that she'd need a plumber. Not really a disaster, more a pain, one would think, no? Well, you can imagine....
So, I rang the friendly builder guy we use for everything and he was there in 15 mins and got the thing temporarily sorted till he can do it properly next Sat and charged nothing. Water back on.
But, it's all my fault obviously.
I went over as soon as we were dressed to explain to builder (J) about the bell and ask him to fix it and took her a piece of homemade cake. She was supposed to ask J to fix the bell on Monday when he was fixing the leak she'd had in her hall (also histrionics "I'll lose power to the whole house cos it's near the light fitiing, it'll bring the ceiling down") but it worked that day and he didn't charge her for the leak so she didn't want to ask him about the bell. It's HER bell in HER house, but apparently fixing it is MY problem and MY responsibility.
Then she says, "I don't understand how your father was such an awful man and yet when he was having difficulties he had all sorts of people offering him all sorts of help, and I have no one".
Well, he was an alcoholic but he did have a circle of friends and it's true, there were quite a lot of people at his funeral who were obviously fond of him. They may have been drinking buddies more than anything but he did make the effort to socialise, whereas she has made exactly 0 friends since coming here and lost contact with pretty much everyone from home, even though they've written to her and sent xmas cards and the like.
I said, you have me, you can ring me if you need help. "You didn't answer the phone, I was ringing from 8 and even DH didn't answer". I've checked my phone, first call was 9.06.
DM : "what if I fell and broke my hip?"
Me : well, you'd ring me I expect.
DM. "but you don't answer"
I was going to say, ring the ambulance but then I thought, she'll just start the whole, they can't get into the house cos of the bars on the windows crap. (All houses here have metal shutters or grills over the window that can't be moved)
so I just went. hmm.
DH came over so he could explain to J that the bell has a bit of plastic that's broken and he reckons that's what needs fixing. He stayed outside with J while I went in with the kids. Said he didn't want to come in. She didn't realise he was there.
Then as we were leaving she realised and said, "oh, DH do you want to come in?" and he said no thank you. Then she was saying, why's he there and why doesn't he come in?
I said, he was talking to J and then he got a phone call and we're going now. But she started doing the teary eyed thing. Then both children started tantrumming really badly and I had to literally carry them away, but we got away.
I should have said, because you were fucking awful to him and you've never apologised, but didn't fancy a rematch of last christmas so did the white lie about a phone call.
When she was at this house the last time he went out shopping beforehand and she was all "where is he, he didn't go out because of me, did he?"
But, she'll just turn it round to he ignores me. She used to do that when we were there..."DH never speaks to me, he only ever answers in monosyllables"
Hmmm, wonder why? Maybe because you treat him like shit on your shoe?
Supposed to be seeing her tmrw......not looking forward to that.
Why does EVERYTHING have to be such a fucking grade A MELODRAMA!
Anyone else would just be, argh, what an arse could you phone a plumber...the police called around and it appears this happened during the night.
If she can't cope with these things because of language then she needs to learn some more fucking Spanish or fuck off back to Britain.
God, I wish she would. I need some distance. We're going way for the weekend in 2 weeks, that'll help a bit.