All clear, I understand, Victor Hughes said with a sigh. Youre being driven out of your own home.
Victor, Mum and I are coming to you! Natalie called at three oclock in the morning.
Dont come, Victor replied sleepily. Were asleep!
Victor, were not joking! Get a bed for Mum and find a folding cot for me! Natalie complained.
We dont have a cot, and every spare place is taken! he yawned, contagious.
Are you mocking me? his sister shouted through the phone.
Sister, what do you want from me? Why are you showing up at my door in the dead of night? You have your own flat, go spend the night there! Victor said.
Victor! Natalie snapped. You have to let us stay! We have nowhere else to go!
Whats happened? Victor asked innocently, pushing his wife aside.
Covering the receiver with his hand he said, Harriet, Mum and my sister are at the door! Theyre bursting in!
Couldnt you find another time? Harriet asked, still half asleep.
Glad were on the same page, Victor smiled.
Natalie kept rambling, punctuating her speech with sighs and shrieks. Now, make it short and clear! Victor demanded.
Victor! The front doors jammed!
How badly? Victor asked.
First the lock got stuck, then the hinges went crooked and wouldnt close. When I tried to push it back, it seized and the lock wont turn! Natalie cried, beginning to sob. Mum and I were in our housecoats on the doorstep! Were neighbours, but you know how troublesome they can be.
Very interesting! Victor laughed broadly. The payback doors have finally caught up with you!
His wife, who had been listening, shook her head theatrically, covering her mouth to hide a yawn. She wanted to laugh out loud but didnt want to interrupt him.
Victor, we need to wait until morning and then call a locksmith. Order a cab and pay by card we have cash in the flat! Natalie shouted.
So are you coming or waiting? Victor tried to clarify.
Dont be dense! Natalie snapped. Were stuck here like two chickens under those cursed doors!
In childhood parents love their children equally, giving them everything they can. As the kids grow, favourites appear some are loved more, some less. The same happens with care. The favoured get more; the rest receive whats left.
When Victor decided to marry, his younger sister Poppy immediately raised the issue of not having Victor and his young wife in their shared flat.
Victor, that woman is my sisterinlaw, and Im just a stray aunt! I have my own home and I want to live, speak and act as I wish! Poppy declared.
Whats wrong with that? Victor asked, surprised.
The mere presence of another adult makes me uncomfortable, Poppy said, quoting something shed read online.
What sort of discomfort? Victor frowned. Harriet and I are at work during the day. In the mornings you and Mum are still asleep, and in the evenings we eat and retreat to our room!
Of course! Poppy sneered. And you wont even use the bathroom? I might be doing yoga at that time!
Believe me, theres nothing exciting for us here, Victor replied. Whos going to watch you?
Victor! Poppy shouted, then added her mother to the call. Tell him why we dont need a stranger in the house!
Poppy, Nina Bennett, their mother, said, shes Harriets wife, and youre the daughterinlaw thats almost family.
It may be distant family in a village, but by law shes a stranger! Mum, I dont want to live like in a council block! Poppy protested.
Nina, who had always favoured her daughter because Victor reminded her of a former husband who abandoned her with two children, sided with her gently. Victor, we love you, but we barely know Harriet. Well meet her, though starting with a cohabitation feels odd. Youre a man, you cant live hanging off Mums sleeve. Youll have kids, and Poppy is still young. If she gathers friends at night, youll be left with children and argue. Were all family, after all.
Everythings clear, Victor sighed. Theyre kicking us out of our own house!
Victor, no ones kicking you out, his mother said. We just want to avoid problems if we can.
You can live without a wife, Poppy said, but with one, go your own way!
Harriet soon realised something was off between Victor, his mother, and his sister. After their wedding they had planned to stay with them to save for a deposit on a flat. Three weeks before the ceremony Victor moved his belongings into a rented flat and brought Harriet with him.
Harriet understood but didnt interfere. She wasnt thrilled about sharing a roof with Victors relatives, yet for Victors sake she endured whatever was needed.
It didnt work out, so thats fine, she told her friend. Victor looks gloomy.
Harriet, stay out of it! her friend Katie warned. Youll be lighterheaded if you dont worry about it!
Ill be fine, but Victors really struggling, Katie added. Youre his wife, so youre supposed to support him. Youre now his family; the others are just relatives.
Victor may have been accommodating, but the grievance faded quickly as his own familys issues piled up. They needed to sort the house, and then Harriet gave birth to a son.
We cant stretch any further, Victor said sadly. Well never save enough. Well just scrape by.
I think the same, Harriet agreed. When the mortgage payment comes, you either pay or you dont.
They took out a thirtyyear mortgage, originally wanting a twentyyear term, but the larger monthly instalment would have left no room for any enjoyment.
Four years after little Toby was born, the joy faded. The second son, Roman, arrived with a cheerful cry.
Nothing to worry about, Victor said. Well manage.
Of course, love, Harriet replied. Where shall we go?
When Roman turned five, Victor managed to get two vouchers for a holiday centre.
They rarely travelled; at most they visited Harriets relatives in a village. Even gardening felt more like work than a break.
One day Harriet exclaimed, Victor! Theres a spa with a pool, treatments, a disco for overthirtysomethings, and five meals a day! Its practically royal treatment!
What about the kids?
For a small extra fee we could take them, or maybe we could leave them behind?
Should we drop them in a playroom or send them to my mums village? Harriet joked, laughing that shed never actually watch them because work, the garden, and the house kept her occupied. She would lock them in a room with the TV and feed them on schedule.
Mum, Victor asked, can I take the children with me for a week? Harriet and I want a break.
Where are you going? Poppy snapped, refusing to let his mother speak.
To the seaside resort outside town, Victor answered. We havent had a proper holiday in eight years.
So youre heading to the resort while we have to look after your bandits? Poppy fumed. What a wonderful prospect!
Mum, Victor persisted, theyre quiet lads. Feed them, check theyre dressed properly, put them to bed on time theyre almost selfsufficient.
Hmm, Nina mused.
No, Victor! Poppy retorted. Mum and I just finished renovating, new furniture it costs a fortune! And now your kids will wreck everything? Youll have to pay for that. Besides, sometimes my husband visits, and we never have enough space for the kids!
Mum! Victor cried, losing his last hope. We really need the money.
Son, the renovation is fresh, and Poppy is sorting her own life. You and Harriet are a family, so sort your own problems! Nina said.
Thanks, Mum, Victor whispered gratefully.
They went to the resort with the children, and Victor didnt speak to his relatives for a while, feeling a sore pride.
Then a crisis hit. Victors salary was delayed, and the mortgage instalment was due. He begged his mother and sister for a short loan.
Mum, could you lend us three or four days wages? he asked.
We dont have that, Nina replied, looking at Poppy.
We do, Poppy said, patting her mothers hand. Dont worry!
Youve saved my neck! Victor sighed with relief.
No! Poppy replied firmly. Youll have to rescue yourself. Weve set aside money for the new front door. The installer is due next week, and we need an advance for the work.
Poppy, why? Victor asked. Im only asking for four days.
Its not clear how youll repay! I need to pay the installer in a week, then another five days for the doors to be fitted and fully settled!
Youll pay yourself! Victor shouted, exasperated. Our situation is urgent! The loan is due tomorrow, and the salary arrives the day after. Ill bring the cash or transfer it immediately!
Talk is cheap, but Im not delivering doors today! If theyre delayed again, what will I do? Poppy snapped.
Lets go to the solicitor now and sort everything. You can even draft a thousandpercent penalty if needed! Victor suggested.
What? Ill get your fines first, and the door deal will be off! So, brother, go on, dont bother! Poppy retorted.
Victor managed to meet an old friend who was a solicitor, paid the money early, and the door work proceeded. However, his mother and sister ended up on his blockedcall list.
He told Harriet everything, and she recalled a line shed once read: A wise person does not seek revenge; they wait for life to repay them. The waiting didnt last long.
Here you go! Victor said, holding his empty card. I have no money left, and I dont feel like looking for help for anyone now.
Youve gone mad! Were family! Poppy shouted.
The doors! Victor added. Your doors were the final chord, after which I have no desire to keep talking to you.
Dont you feel ashamed, son, to stoop so low? his mother asked.
Its not revenge, Victor replied. Its settling debts. Im returning the love, care, and kindness you gave me, in the same measure you took.
He hung up, ending the call. It wasnt vengeance; it was a balance of owed kindness.
In the end, Victor learned that holding onto grudges only adds weight to an already heavy load, and that the true wealth lies in compassion and patience, not in money or revenge.
