mother dearest.

    • mother dearest.

      I'm sorry that this is a bit of an essay, but if you have the patience to read it and reply i'd greatly appreciate it.

      About 2 years ago my mum bought us a beautiful new piano, but since we got it, my brother stopped having lessons and my mum has played it less and less because she's so busy. Recently it's gone out of tune while we were on holiday and now the 2nd octave sounds terrible. The first time I played it when it was out of tune, my piece sounded terrible and she looked at me and said "oh well that's that then." She won't get it tuned because she's worried about money. She knows that it has to be maintained or it will get worse until it will cost loads to repair it.

      I tried to talk to her about it and told her that if she's not gonna look after it or use it, she may as well sell it. but she said she doesn't "have time to mess around" and started having a go at me. what kind of answer is that!?

      I love this piano. When i'm at home and it's in tune I play it nearly every day. My friend said I should treat the piano like it's mine and not my mum's. That I should get someone to tune it by myself, and since no one else uses it, when i move out it's pretty much mine and i'd be able to have it. But I know mum would never let me take it. She'd say "if it weren't for me struggling with my job in this pit we were dumped in (divorce, 5 years ago, get over it) you'd be nowhere, and a few years of piano maintainance is nothing compared to what i've done for you". Plus it's shiny, fills a gap in the room, and moving it or letting strange men in her house to shift it would be too much hassle for her. And anyway, I don't live here. I live at uni. I have no claim on this piano.

      When I talk to her about money she says that I don't understand. But i'm not stupid. I never ask her for anything. In school before year 12 i didn't even get my friends birthday or christmas presents because i didn't have money, I owned like 2 t-shirts and a pair of jeans and didn't really like shopping anyway so didn't complain until later on. After year 12 I lived off EMA(basically a government allowance). I never got pocket money. Now I live off student loans. I don't know the last time my mum got me anything properely, she gave me shampoo for my birthday and she wrapped it up and put it in my uni box instead of sending it like everyone elses parents did. In the meantime, she's been buying pianos and extra showers, getting her hair cut every month and spending a fortune on contact lenses. If she wants to save money she could sell the piano she'll never use, but no, too much hassle, sorry too busy, got to go to my top class phisiotherapy appointment you knoow.

      I've even considered tuning it myself, but i'd rather not risk breaking a string or loosening a pin too far or something.

      What am I meant to do. Pay for the tuner anyway or forget about it?