Fwd: FRENCH FAMILY HISTORY-web page-for forwarding purposes
French Style!
With Friends and Family like this – who needs enemies?
Sometimes one wonders what purpose friends and family are supposed to serve.
It's a daily occurrence, problems with both of them.
This particular case is rapidly coming to a head, after 10 years or so of bickering, biting and blathering!
10 years of permanently changing relations, a couple of week's friendship with this one – but not the other one, and then – all change!
Trying to keep up with all these "friendly" and "not so friendly" changes is a full time job, with overtime!
The story is an all too common one, at least in France, where the Laws controlling Inheritance are complicated, deformable by individuals (generally to their own benefit) and long!
Maybe it's the same everywhere, I wouldn't know, but certainly being a "Beneficiary" in France is a long way from being a holiday, or anything else pleasant!
The biggest problem is that when these "beneficiaries" get a full head of steam up, they sling insults right and left, top and bottom, and finally involve just about anyone who has any connection with them.
4 Sisters (not of the Bronte type) who simply cannot agree on basically anything, at any time, anywhere!
The largest success I have ever seen was on one occasion when I actually managed to get all 4 of them, with their respective husbands/male companions around the same table, on a warm Southern French summer's day.
Of course, the impossibility (for the males) of getting a word in edgeways, was omnipresent, and conversation – table talk – was confusing (to say the least) for none of these 4 females ever listened to what any of the others were actually saying, but did have something to say themselves!
Result – cacophony!
Nowadays, no miracles could be achieved. The same 4 sisters around one table? Only if you want mayhem, murder or worse!
You see, when Mother died, passed on, or whatever you want to call it, the family house was "up for grabs" with the usual mandatory "share" for each Sister – but only after the house had been sold.
For me, it was an education in the worst aspects of that race called "Human".
The rapidity with which the family jewellery (mainly that which had belonged to the now defunct) was split up and divided, was astounding!
Had these 4 sisters finally settled their differences in the framework of a sad decease?
Not a word of it – as I found out later, when I was obliged to pas some hours listening to each one in turn, lamenting about how the other sister's had "diddled" her, regarding the division of property!
"It wasn't that golden ring I wanted, it was the other one", or "Mother had promised all of that to me", or a multitude of other plaintive, pathetic words.
So – now down to the house!
One must understand that one of the 4 sister's actually lives, in her own house, next door to the house in question, and her son had installed himself (and his family). No rental contract had been made, so Son and family lived rent free, and well, in the said house - now designed "FOR SALE"!
This, obviously, did not please mother of said son, but the law said that the house had to be sold, and that each Sister should have her part!
Son could obviously buy said house, probably at a highly reduced price, after all – he would be buying from his mother and 3 Aunts.
Mother would presumably abandon her part, to the benefit of Son, and therefore Son would finally only have 75% of the reduced price to pay!
Aaah – yes, but this is Southern France, and we're talking about 4 sister's.
One installed near to Paris, who therefore was obviously more intelligent and cunning than the others.
Another one who lived in the "France profound" – in other words in the middle of the countryside. Obviously this one didn't count much in the dealings and wheelings – she would finally only do what her sophisticated Paris sister told her to do!
The 3rd sister, being the mother of "Son" would hold her peace for as long as possible, since Son was making large economies – so long as the house wasn't sold!
Then there was the 4th sister. She had also been installed in the Paris area, was the oldest of the 4 (something which doesn't count for anything under French law), had unfortunately lost her husband at a young age, and had been forced to leave her Parisian suburbs for a "grace and favour" lodgment in the South of France, with her Sister-in-law.
This didn't please her, but was the only solution, since no financial plans had been made for an early decease of either, and only a paltry "Widows Pension" was available to her.
She, like her other sisters, had children – and even grand children, but little or no help was to be expected from that quarter. They were all too involved in amassing things like sports cars with fancy (and ear shattering) stereo systems, motor bikes to try to kill themselves with, and all the other accessories of modern and luxurious life.
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I'll jump a few months into the future, and we find ourselves at the same point!
Sister 4 (the youngest) – Mother of Son, who is living rent-free in the "House for Sale", has finally taken her decision. She has bowed to the pressure of the 3 other sisters, and has come clean!
She has declared herself against the sale of the house!
This, according to French law, is her right, and she has exercised her right, and has blocked any sale!
This has not pleased the other 3 sisters, except for the sophisticated Parisian, who (at this moment in time) spends most of her holiday periods with Sister 4 – free of charge, of course!
Sister "France profound" was bewildered, and didn't say anything, awaiting orders from Paris!
Sister 4 (the oldest) was now installed in an elderly house belonging to Sister "France profound" – or rather her husband.
"Grace and Favour" still applied, but the place was hundreds of miles from any of her "roots" and the situation was "temporary".
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I'll now jump 8 YEARS on, and – IMAGINE!
We're still in the same position, except that Sister, Mother of Son" "has fallen out with "Sister sophisticated Paris" and has ordered her to stop spending her holidays at her home, free of charge!
"Sister sophisticated Paris" "thereupon has blocked effectively the sale of the "House for Sale" by putting a price tag twice the value, so no one will buy it! There are nasty rumours circulating that she really wants to buy it herself! Actually she probably only wants to hang onto the house as long as possible for her Summer Holidays!
"Sister France profound" is still awaiting orders from Paris, but the situation is now more complicated, because her husband is now a Pensioner, and wants to sell the house in which "Sister 4 – the eldest" is still living, still temporarily – buy a "Camping car" and disappear with the grandchildren for week ends. Trouble is – he can't buy said camping car (trailer) unless he sells the house, and he can't sell the house so long as "Sister4 – the eldest" is still living in it!
More complications are that half of this house (the half which belonged to his sister) has been demolished (see picture)! His half risks falling down all by itself!
"Sister 4 – the eldest" wants desperately to move, but can't! She hasn't got the financial resources needed, and she won't have them unless the "HOUSE FOR SALE" is finally sold.
Well – we know that "HOUSE FOR SALE" is being blocked by "Sister sophisticated Paris".
Finally nobody is talking to anybody, everybody is blocked somehow, by someone, and life is just one bunch of roses!
"Son & Family – rent free" finally got fed up with it all, and built their own house, far away, and moved about a year ago!
"HOUSE FOR SALE" is now empty, deserted, desolate, and has been for some 3 years
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Let's jump to NOW!
Situation: List of Participants
"House for Sale" – empty. On sale, but at a price twice that of better properties in the same area – UNSELLABLE!
"Sister 4 – the eldest": Still living, temporarily, in "half a ruin"! Now menacing the others that if "nothing changes" she will install herself and her belongings in "House for Sale"
"Sister sophisticated Paris": Still blocking everyone else, and emitting various rumours!
"Sister France profound": Still awaiting orders from the above, but being pressured on the other side by her husband's (and her own) desire to sell the "half a ruin" buy their Camping car and leave us all in peace!
"Sister Mother of son rent free": Now desperately trying to reorganize some kind of life!
"Son rent free:" Finally grew up and got fed up with the bickering! Built a house and went to live in it. And he lived happily ever after!
"Children & Grand children": No change – still buying expensive nonsense to annoy others with!
"Half a ruin": Unchanged – just a sad and old witness to "other days", and other people!
ME: Stuck somewhere between the lot and not terribly interested!
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As I said – with family and friends like these – who needs enemies?
Extract from a song by "Maxime le Forestier":
"Il y a un maison vieux – les gens qui habitait ont jetée la clé"
("There's an old house – the people who once lived there have thrown away the key!"
(iwmpop) mr le marquis Vauvert, France June 2008
Links to other iwmpop pages- http://www.webspawner.com/users/mrlemarquis/index.html
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