Getting old

There's a phrase I recall from various American detective series I watched in my youth: justifiable homicide. After spending less than 24 hours with the in-laws I am of the opinion that there is not a court in the land that would convict Father-in-law if he murdered his wife.

Mother-in-law has a lung condition and she needs and is supposed to be on oxygen 24 hours a day. But she's stubborn and refuses to use it all the time. As a result her brain doesn't get enough oxygen and her short-term memory is all but gone. That's bad enough but she's also getting nasty with father-in-law, who has had a couple of strokes himself and isn't in perfect health.

And this has all happened fairly recently, or at least, it's worsened rapidly.

Father-in-law is worried about his own memory and not being able to look after his wife, and just takes it all quietly. My two sisters-in-law both live nearby and are being run off their feet - although Mother-in-law will tell you that no-one's been near her for days even though they'll have seen her earlier that day.

There are times I'm glad I'm an orphan.