I’ll admit it honestly: I didn’t like my mother-in-law’s visits, even though I respected her. She came to our home regularly, once a month, for a few days.
She used to arrive on weekdays, but she had now decided to come at the end of the week—no doubt to stay over the weekend.
When my husband told me, I was outraged:
—So now she’s going to keep us from sleeping properly?
—Why do you say that? he growled.
—She already wakes us during the week! And weekends will be even worse!
He laughed at me—and with good reason.
On Friday she arrived as usual. Saturday at 6:45 a.m. I was woken by a racket in the kitchen.
Then there was a knock on the door.
—Still sleeping? she said as she entered without knocking. —It’s almost seven. Time to get up…
—Can’t we sleep a bit longer on weekends? I asked, irritated. —Please leave our bedroom.
—You’re a mother and a wife. You could get up first and make breakfast, she reproached me.
—So I can’t sleep, but my husband and child can?
My mother-in-law sniffed and left the room muttering.
The next morning, the same thing happened: noise in the kitchen, a knock on the door.
All week long I thought: how can I make her understand she mustn’t wake us on weekends?
On Monday the idea came to me, and I waited for her next visit.
As always, she arrived Friday evening. I was impeccably polite. When she went to bed at ten to nine, I turned the TV up full blast.
My mother-in-law, shocked, ran into the living room:
—What are you doing? Don’t you see the time?
—It’s not forbidden to make noise before ten, I replied calmly.
—I’m already sleeping!
—Please don’t disturb me.
She stood in front of the screen and said sternly:
—Have some sense! I need my sleep!
—Then stay up later—you won’t have to get up at six, I answered. —That’s exactly what you do every Saturday!
—Are you getting revenge?! she cried.
—Consider it so, I said evenly.
I didn’t lower the volume until ten. The next morning I waited for her to come wake us as usual. But there was only silence.
My husband and I slept until eleven. Victory!
