...and so it is that whenever there is an empty place, someone or some thing(s) will fill it up.
Since I left my room last year, I knew that someone somewhere will try to take it over, never mind that I still have stuff in there. So when my aunt and cousins from overseas visited last December - as they did every year - they stayed in my room instead of the study/spare room. I wouldn't mind it so much if said aunt doesn't always insist on leaving things behind that she claims she wants but never brings back home. How much can you want a thing if you see if for between 2 weeks to 1 month in a year? The junk in the house invariably increases after these visits.
Then, my sister-in-law wants it to be a play room for my nieces. That's fine. I'm hardly in the house. So long so no one ruins the books still in there.
Now, the aforesaid aunt says she wants to send eldest daughter to study in Singapore next year and would like her to stay in my room. I must clarify that said aunt has a habit of calling only the night before she arrives in Singapore for her yearly half to one month stay. We always found this most peculiar and inconvenient but mom being always so forgiving, always says "forget it", so we let it pass. I must say though that said aunt has always been helpful when staying over, and was most generous and helpful with arrangements when I mentioned that I might go over in April with mom (but the plans fell through).
However, she is asking for a long-term stay this time. And are we now to become guardians of her daughter? Mom certainly has more than enough to look after with her 4 grandkids. Even 2 at a time is a real headache already. Now we are talking about having to deal with a teenager who's fond of late nights and sleeping till way past noon. I'm not sure if aunt thinks that this time, we would also say yes with no questions asked.
Sister has the most brilliant reason for saying no: tell aunt that I still want the room. I don't think that that's going to work.
Since I left my room last year, I knew that someone somewhere will try to take it over, never mind that I still have stuff in there. So when my aunt and cousins from overseas visited last December - as they did every year - they stayed in my room instead of the study/spare room. I wouldn't mind it so much if said aunt doesn't always insist on leaving things behind that she claims she wants but never brings back home. How much can you want a thing if you see if for between 2 weeks to 1 month in a year? The junk in the house invariably increases after these visits.
Then, my sister-in-law wants it to be a play room for my nieces. That's fine. I'm hardly in the house. So long so no one ruins the books still in there.
Now, the aforesaid aunt says she wants to send eldest daughter to study in Singapore next year and would like her to stay in my room. I must clarify that said aunt has a habit of calling only the night before she arrives in Singapore for her yearly half to one month stay. We always found this most peculiar and inconvenient but mom being always so forgiving, always says "forget it", so we let it pass. I must say though that said aunt has always been helpful when staying over, and was most generous and helpful with arrangements when I mentioned that I might go over in April with mom (but the plans fell through).
However, she is asking for a long-term stay this time. And are we now to become guardians of her daughter? Mom certainly has more than enough to look after with her 4 grandkids. Even 2 at a time is a real headache already. Now we are talking about having to deal with a teenager who's fond of late nights and sleeping till way past noon. I'm not sure if aunt thinks that this time, we would also say yes with no questions asked.
Sister has the most brilliant reason for saying no: tell aunt that I still want the room. I don't think that that's going to work.
