Family Christmas 'ruined' over brother's 'creepy' prosthetic leg. AITA?
When this woman is freaked out by her brother on Christmas, she asks Reddit:
"AITAH for telling my brother he cannot stay with me over Christmas if he brings his prosthetic leg?"
My younger brother has a prosthetic leg. I think it is creepy AF and I have no idea where he got it. I'm reasonably certain that it is something I would rather not know. To be clear here my brother has two perfectly healthy legs still attached to his body.
He just has this thing he takes with him everywhere. I don't know why, I don't want to know. Before you ask yeah it is probably a mental health thing.
He wanted to stay with me rather than our parents while he is home for the holidays. I said he was welcome to stay so long as he doesn't bring that thing into my house. He said it wasn't a big deal and that he would leave it in his luggage.
I agreed on the condition that if I saw it outside of his luggage in my home then I had the right to destroy it. He backtracked on staying with me and is at our parents house. Where he is miserable. They still treat him like a little boy instead of a guy who is almost 30.
He called me again after supper and asked to please stay with me. I said he could so long as we, together, took his thing and put it into a storage unit until he leaves. I get the key.
He won't do it. He says that I'm being a b&ch for not letting him stay with me. Like really? Family Christmas is getting ruined by my brother's creepy prosthetic leg??? I think he needs to get therapy or medication. Or both. Or a girlfriend. Boyfriend. Dog. Cat. Hamster. Something. Just not a GD prosthetic leg. AITA?
Let's see what readers thought.
kriss1986 writes:
I know this is extremely distressing for you but I’m laughing so hard. At first I was like is this A H serious? She won’t let her brother bring his leg? Like his whole ass leg he needs to walk because he literally lost a leg in some horrible accident but then you clarified both his healthy legs are still attached and I lost it.
NTA but you and I are NOT the same. I would NEED to know. All of it. Where did you get it? Why do you have it? What do you do with it? Did you steal it off a bum or something?
Then I would stare at him uncomfortably until he broke and told it all to me. I may later regret my decision but I don’t often think that far into the future when something catches my attention.
hazelwound writes:
NTA, and yes, there sounds like there is most definitely some sort of mental trauma going on there. It would be like Linus bringing his blanket everywhere, except it's a prosthetic leg. Sounds as if he needs a mental health eval to root our the source of why he feels compelled to drag this thing around with him everywhere.
My first thought (though probably not true) was that he may have stolen it and carries it with him for fear he will be found out. But, it's certainly a mystery. Stay strong, don't let him bring that into your home if you're not comfortable and perhaps speak to your parents about getting him some help.
ficklemermaid writes:
NTA. I thought that you were at first, but that was based on thinking he actually needed it. It’s understandable to be uncomfortable with him just randomly carrying a leg around, especially since he could not respect your boundaries about leaving it in his luggage so you would not suddenly come across it.
Him having to stay at your parents house instead is a consequence of his own actions and although he is upset by their attitude towards him, it probably comes from concern since he is not behaving like a well-adjusted adult.
And as if the leg thing isn’t enough of a reason not to want him to stay with you, then he called you a b&ch, which is a valid reason in itself. It does sound like he needs help but only he can access it, you can’t make him take this seriously and take responsibility if he’s not ready and he seems set on pretending this is reasonable and your reaction is the issue.