Why does mum need a twobedroom flat? Shes sixtyfive already. She hardly entertains guests, and with her sisters she can just have tea in the kitchen, I remark, sipping my tea. Honestly, a onebedroom flat will do her perfectly.
Margaret Smith knows exactly why her son Michael and daughter Poppy have turned up. The subject flashed through Michaels mind just a week ago, when the whole family gathered to celebrate Poppys birthdayher youngest granddaughter.
Michael and Poppy arrive, barely have time to exchange a hello before the front door rings. A neighbour peeks in.
Oh, Margaret, Im early. You have visitors, the elderly lady stammers.
Theyre family, Nina, Margaret answers. Whats wrong?
My sewing machine jammed again. The bobbin is stuck, and I cant get it out. Ill pop round later, sorry, Nina says.
No problem, Ill take a look, Margaret replies.
She heads back to the kitchen and turns to Michael and Poppy.
Ill be with Nina for five minutes. The kettles on, dear. Take it easy in the kitchen.
Margaret fixes the sewingmachine issue quickly and hurries home. As she steps into the hallway, she freezes, struck by what she hears.
Mike, Ive crunched the numbers, Michael says, this flat could fetch at least three million pounds, while the twobedroom unit mum plans to move into in that rundown block is only about a million.
So you want mum to hand over the difference? A million each? Poppy asks.
Exactly. And not just a million, but a million two hundred thousand, Michael replies.
Where will she get that? Poppy wonders.
I told you Ive done the maths! Why does mum need a twobedroom flat? Shes sixtyfive. She wont be hosting many guests, and with her sisters she can just share a cup of tea in the kitchen.
Honestly, a onebedroom flat is more than enough for her. A decent one, with a small renovation, could be bought for about six hundred thousand pounds.
I looked at places not on the outskirts but nearer the town centre, in a relatively new block, with shops and a GP close by, Michael explains.
Maybe mum wont agree? Poppy protests.
Why not? Im actually against her moving at all. But if shes being pushed into a retirement home, she might as well get something decent for us too.
Margaret has been thinking about returning to her hometown for some time. When she and her husband moved to the Midlands, she was fortyfive. At that age you dont make many new friends; she had a few acquaintances, but nothing like the lifelong bonds of youth.
She wasnt keen on moving back thenleaving the kids at school, starting over in an unfamiliar town. Yet her husband got a senior position at a local factory, and she went along.
Twenty years pass: work, family, occasional trips back to her roots. Two years ago her husband passes away suddenly. Michael and Poppy have families of their own, and Margaret feels a vacuum. When she retires, the house feels empty, and her sisters keep calling.
Margaret doesnt wait for Poppys answer. She slams the kitchen door open as if shed just arrived. Michael and Poppy are at the table; the tea is poured, and a slice of fruit cake, baked by Margaret, sits ready.
Mum, are you sure you want to move? Poppy asks.
Yes. With your father gone, nothing ties me here. After twenty years this place never felt like home.
What about us? The grandchildren? Poppys eyes widen.
Olivia, you have your own lives, your own concerns. I dont want to be a burden. The kids are grown, they dont need a nanny. What am I supposed to do, sit on a park bench with other retirees, clutching a walking stick?
Some people enjoy that. I dont. Whats left? Books and the telly? My sisters live nearby, in the village, in our parents old house where the whole family gathers for summer.
I keep dreaming Im back in my hometown, walking the high street, and everyone I meet feels familiar.
Alright, Mum, what about the flat? Michael steers the conversation toward the practical side.
Ill sell it and buy a new one, she says.
Do you need help with the sale? Michael offers.
Ill go through an agency. The ad is already online. Ill start packing soon.
Mum, Im not just offering help for nothing. There are scams everywhere. You could end up with no money and no flat.
Dont worry. Lisa Collins, my brother-inlaws wife, will handle the sale. Remember her? She runs her own agency. Natashas also got a reliable realtorthey just helped Paul buy a house.
How much are you aiming for? Michael asks.
Lisa said three million is a fair price, though I might list it slightly higher at first. Ive checked the listings myself; its accurate, Margaret replies.
Theyre cheaper elsewhere, Poppy observes.
Yes, a similar twobedroom flat nearby sells for about two million.
Mum, Poppy and I have a favour to ask: after you sell, could you give us each a million? Michael asks.
A million each? I wouldnt have enough for my own place.
Why not? You could buy a smaller flat, perhaps a onebedroom, Michael suggests.
A onebedroom would be cramped for me. I need two roomsa bedroom and a sitting room.
Some threeperson families live in onebedrooms, Michael counters.
Yes, those who cant afford larger homes. I can afford a bigger place, and I want to live comfortably.
Just think of it as fairness to us. Its still a family flat, Michael says.
Mike, I never expected to be discussing this, but remember the will? You inherited everything your father left you.
He wasnt stingy. All I got was the flat. And now you want me to split it with you?
Mike didnt phrase it well, Poppy interjects, trying to smooth things over. He meant you could help us if you have spare cash.
I have a mortgage; Illya and I want a cottage. Even half a million would help.
Even if you buy a twomillion flat, youll still have a million left. Thats what were counting on.
Yes, that remains. Ill need it for the move, the renovations, and furnishing the new placefurniture, appliances, the lot.
The leftover will be my safety net, just in case I fall ill. Im not getting any younger, and I dont want to be a burden to you or other relatives.
So you wont give us anything? Michael asks.
Mike, Im surprised you started this conversation. Youre thirtyseven, Olivia thirtyfour, both universityeducated, both working.
You still have years of mortgage ahead. But youre not struggling. If I hadnt decided to move and sell, would you have managed? Did you have a plan to relocate me to a simpler flat?
No, Mum, sorry we brought this up. We just thought
You thought that Mum, whos always helped you, would never say no again, Margaret says.
I wouldnt refuse if you truly needed it. But I think youll manage: Mike will finish the mortgage, Illya and you will save for the cottage, and everything will be fine.
Margaret does exactly what she planned: she sells the flat, moves back to her hometown, and buys a new home near the spot where she and her late husband once lived. Relatives pitch in, helping her settle and refurbish. Now, each morning as she wakes, Margaret feels truly at home.
