All right, I get it, Victor said, sighing. Youre being kicked out of your own house.
Victor, Mum and I are coming to you! Poppy shouted into the phone at three in the morning.
Dont bother driving over, Victor replied groggily, were asleep!
Victor, this isnt a joke! Put a proper bed together for Mum and find a foldout sofa for me! Poppy snapped.
We dont have any sofabeds and every bedroom is full! he yawned, a grin spreading across his face.
Are you kidding me? his sister shrieked.
Sister, what do you want from me? And why are you showing up at my door in the dead of night? You have a flat of your own; go spend the night there! Victor asked, rubbing his eyes.
Victor! Poppy cut him off harshly. You have to let us stay! We have nowhere else to go!
What happened? Victor asked innocently, nudging his wife.
Covering the handset with his hand, he muttered, Anne, Mum and your sister are on the line. Theyre begging to come in!
Couldnt you have called at a sensible hour? Anne asked sleepily.
Im glad were on the same page! Victor smiled.
Poppy kept rambling, her words punctuated with sighs, coughs and shrieks.
Lets make this short and clear! Victor demanded.
Victor! The door is stuck!
Badly? he asked.
First the lock jammed, then the hinges twisted and refused to close, and when I gave it a push the whole thing seized up. Now the lock wont turn! Poppy wailed, on the verge of tears. And were in our nightgowns on the doorstep! The neighbours are dreadful, you know that.
How fascinating, Victor chuckled. The payback doors have finally caught up with you!
His wife, listening nearby, shook her head theatrically, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh.
Victor, well have to wait until morning and then call an electrician. Order a taxi and pay by card weve got cash in the flat!
So are you staying or leaving? Victor pressed.
Dont be daft! Poppy roared. Were stuck here like two chickens under these cursed doors!
In a perfect childhood both parents love their children equally, giving them everything they can. But as the kids grow, favourites emerge, and care follows the same pattern. The beloved get more, the rest get whats left.
When Victor decided to marry, his younger sister Poppy immediately raised the issue of whether his new wife and he should stay in the family flat.
Victor, shes my sisterinlaw, Im just your aunt! And I have my own house! I want to come and go as I please!
And why not? Victor was taken aback.
The very thought of a stranger under my roof makes me uneasy, Poppy claimed, quoting something shed read online.
What kind of unease? Victor frowned. Anne and I work long days. By the time we get home, you and Mum are still in bed, and we end up in our own bedroom at night!
Of course! Poppy huffed. You wont even use the loo! I might be doing yoga at that hour!
Trust me, theres nothing exciting for us here, Victor said. Whos going to watch you?
Victor! Poppy shrieked, then added her mother to the call. Tell him why we dont want a stranger in the house!
Margaret, said Eleanor, their mother, shes Victors wife, youre the daughterinlaw. That makes us almost family.
Thats distant kin, but legally shes an outsider! Mum, I dont want to live like in a council flat!
Eleanor, who always favored her daughter because her son reminded her of a former husband whod abandoned her with two kids, took Poppys side gently.
Victor, we love you, but we barely know Anne. Well meet her, just not before weve sorted the living arrangements. Youre a man, after all itd be odd if you were living on Mums lap. You have children, Poppy, youre still young! If you bring friends over at night, the kids will be there, and youll argue like family.
All clear, I understand, Victor said, sighing. Theyre kicking us out of our own home!
Victor, no ones kicking you out, his mum replied. We just want to avoid trouble when we can.
You could live without a wife, Poppy said, but with one, you should go your own way!
Anne soon realised something was off between Victor, his mum and his sister. After the wedding theyd planned to stay with them to save for a flat deposit, but three weeks before the ceremony Victor moved his things into a rented flat and brought Anne with him.
Anne understood but didnt interfere. She wasnt thrilled about living next to her husbands family, yet for Victors sake she was willing to endure as long as needed.
It didnt work out, and thats fine, she told her friend. Victor looks so down.
Anne, stay out of it, warned her pal Kate. Youll be better off without the brain drain!
Ill manage, but Victors really struggling!
Thats what a wife is for to support him! In essence, youre his family now, the rest just relatives.
Victor may have been forgiving, but he quickly let go of any grudge as his own familys problems piled up. They had to sort the house, and then Anne gave birth to a son.
We cant stretch any further, Victor said sadly. Well never be able to save enough. Well just scrape by.
I think the same, Anne agreed. When the mortgage is due, youll have to pay whether you like it or not.
They took out a thirtyyear mortgage. Theyd hoped for twenty, but the larger payments would have left no room for leisure.
Four years after little Toby was born, joy started to fade. The second boy, Roman, arrived with a triumphant cry.
No worries! Victor declared. Well manage.
Of course, love! Anne encouraged. Where shall we go?
When Roman turned five, Victor managed to secure two vouchers for a holiday resort.
They rarely went on holidays, usually just visiting Annes relatives in the countryside, and the garden work was hardly a vacation.
Then the call came:
Anne! Theres a spa resort with a pool, treatments, a disco for overthirtysomethings, five meals a day! Pure luxury!
And the kids?
For a small extra you can bring them, though maybe we should leave them behind?
Should we lock them in a room or send them to my mums village? Anne laughed.
The lockup and mums village jokes were just banter; shed never actually watch the children, she was busy with work, the garden and the house.
Shed simply keep them in a TVroom on a schedule.
Mum, Victor asked, could I take the children with me for a week? Anne and I want a break.
And where would you go? Poppy demanded, not letting her mother finish.
To the sanatorium outside town, Victor answered. We havent had a proper break in eight years.
So youre off to the sanatorium and were left to guard your bandits? Poppy huffed. Brilliant plan!
Mum, Victor pleaded again, theyre decent lads! Just feed them, check theyre dressed, and tuck them in. Otherwise theyre almost selfsufficient.
Hmm, Eleanor mused.
No, Victor! Poppy interjected. Mum and I just redid the kitchen, bought new furniture! Its expensive!
And then your kids will wreck it all? Youll have to compensate? Plus sometimes my husband drops by. We just dont have enough room for the kids here!
Mum! Victor cried, his hope draining.
Son, the renovation is fresh and Poppys getting her life sorted. You and Anne are a family, sort your own problems!
Thanks, Mum! Victor managed between breaths.
They left for the sanatorium with the children, and Victor didnt speak of his relatives for a long while, nursing his pride.
Soon a crisis hit: Victor and Annes salary was delayed, and the mortgage instalment was due.
Mum, Poppy, we need a threeday loan to cover the mortgage, please! Victor begged.
We dont have any spare cash, love, Eleanor replied, looking at her daughter.
We do, Poppy said, patting her mothers hand. Dont worry!
Youve actually saved my skin! Victor exhaled with relief.
No! Poppy snapped. Youll have to rescue yourself. Weve set aside money for a new front door. The installer is due next week; we need a deposit for the work as well.
Poppy, why? Victor asked, bewildered. Im only asking for four days!
Its unclear how youll pay back! I need to give the tradesman his money in a week, then another five days for the doors, and I have to settle the full bill!
Youll pay, Poppy! Victor protested. Its an emergency! The loan is due tomorrow, the salary comes the day after. Ill bring the cash or transfer it now!
You speak nicely, but Im not handing over the doors! If they hold up, what will I do?
Lets go to the solicitor now and sort everything properly. You can even draft a fine of a thousand percent!
Ill take your fines when the door promotion ends! So, brother, off you go, dont cough!
Victor managed to swing the loan, delivered the money ahead of schedule, and drove his old friend to the solicitor. Yet his mother and sister soon found themselves on his blockedcaller list.
He told Anne everything; she replied with a line shed once read:
A wise person doesnt seek revenge; they wait for life to return the favour.
The wait wasnt long
Thats it! Victor shouted. My card is empty! I cant look for money to help anyone, let alone you lot!
Youve lost it! Were your family!
And the doors! Victor added. Your stuck doors have become the final chord, after which I have no desire to speak to you.
How can you be so low, son? his mothers voice rang out. To sink so low in vengeance!
Im not taking revenge, Victor said. Im finally repaying debts!
You never took anything from us? Poppy asked, missing his hint.
I took your love, your care, the kindness you showed me. Im giving it back in equal measure! Victor declared, ending the call and hanging up.
It wasnt vengeance; it was a debt being settled.
