When I first got married a 100 years ago, my mother-in-law used to call the house on Saturdays, very early in the morning. She knew very well we slept in late on Saturdays. She would called and ask me what did I fixed for her son for breakfast or ordered me to get up and cook him breakfast. She would say things like, “his shirts don’t look clean, what are you using to wash them or how much salt are you putting in his food, he look like he is swelling. My mother-in-law would call me to tell me what I should cook for his dinner or how to wash his clothes. She even tried to tell me what to wear to bed one time, and on and on. This went on for a while. I told my husband to please tell his mother to stop calling so early in the morning and to leave me alone. Nothing! He was afraid of his mother for reasons I found out later.

Well, anyone who knows me can finish writing this story but here’s what I did to put an end to that nonsense.

I packed my husband’s things up when he was at work. We had only one car at that time so I had to take and pick him up from work. When I picked him up from work that day, I drove directly to his mother’s house. On the way there, my husband asked why are we going to his mother’s house, to see your mom I replied. When we got there, I took the suitcase out of the trunk, walked into the house. I told her if she thinks she can be a better wife to her son, then she can have him back. I dropped the suitcase and left. My husband was pissed (understatement) with me but I had had enough and he was not doing anything to help the harassment I was getting from his mother.

My husband called from his mother house telling me to come and get him right now(among other words used)!!! I told him only if he will tell his mother to stop harassing me. I don’t know what they talked about but when I got back to the house, she was upstairs crying. We drove home in total silence the entire ride.

She stop calling me on those ungodly hours but things were never the same between she and I. My husband never tried to get me and his mother on good terms. Knowing his mother, and the fact that I was raised by my grandmother, he may have thought it was a good idea if we were kept apart as much as possible.

BTW, I got the advice to do this from my grandmother. She told me to “take his narrow behind back to his mother, don’t put up with that shit. And if she continue to give you a hard time, tell me and I will handle her.” Anyone who knows my grandmother knows she would give you her last, make your favorite dish good enough you would lick the bowl and beg for more. But don’t play yourself because that same little, little woman will have you on your knees begging for your life if you said the wrong thing to her!