GREEDY REAL LIFE
Patrycja Miszczuk, 33, from Corby, relied on her stepdad when she was grieving, but he had other plans...
Walking into the house, with the smell of pasta quickly greeting me, I couldn’t wait for dinner.
As even though I’d moved into my own flat, looking after my daughter Urszula, now 16, my mum Anna would expect us both at the dinner table. We had aclose relationship. She wasn’t just my mum but my best friend, too.
Originally from Poland, both my mum and dad made sure that me and my brother Arkadiusz, now 23, had a funfilled childhood.
Growing up, my friends treated my mum like their own –and she was popular with other ladies in our town.
However, when Iturned 15, life at home wasn’t the way that it had been in the past.
With Mum and Dad revealing that they were getting adivorce, I struggled to accept the news.
Deep down I secretly hoped that they’d get back together. Only, that wasn’t the case. As shortly after the divorce, Mum, then 33, had anew man on the scene –Kris, then 28.
‘He really does have aheart of gold,’ Mum insisted.
Iknew how important it was for her to find love again.
Yet, it didn’t mean that Ihad to like him.
Meeting him when Iwas still 15, I didn’t expect the two of them to be abig thing. Kris was nice enough, but we never spent a lot of time together, as he would only come over to see Mum.
Plus, Ithought that Kris had come in between my parents getting back together. However, Kris moved in, and the pair of them decided to get married in March 2007, so Iaccepted him. I didn’t really have much of achoice.
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Yet, all Iwanted was for my mum to be happy.
And I realised Ihad been quick to judge.
In time, Iwas able to rely on Kris for homework help and stepdad chores, too.
After having Urszula, at 17, Kris would even babysit when I needed extra help.
Then, just ayear later, when Iturned 18, Kris got offered an amazing catering role as achef in the UK.
Even though Mum didn’t speak much English, it was a way for her to have afresh start by going with him.
The plan was for me to join them all once I’d finished my final year of college.
And that’s exactly what I did. Staying in touch every day, I knew how much Mum had adjusted to living in England.
So, when Imade the big move, Kris was the first person to help at my new flat.
Getting ajob as abeautician, Ifound my feet in the UK.
Over the years, we’d all see each other every evening without fail.
Thankfully, Kris made sure that Mum was completely comfortable, too.
She didn’t need to work, and he took care of absolutely everything for her.
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