Why does Mother need a twobedroom flat? Shes already sixtyfive. Shell hardly entertain guests, and with her sisters she can simply sit in the kitchen and have a cup of tea.
Honestly, a onebedroom will do her just fine its a bargain.
Eleanor Whitby understood why her son and daughter had come to see her. The matter had first come up in Thomass words a week earlier, when the whole family gathered to celebrate the birthday of little Emma, Eleanors youngest granddaughter.
Thomas and Olivia had barely set foot in the sittingroom before the front door rang. A neighbour peered in.
Afternoon, dear. Im sorry to intrude, but you have guests, the elderly Mrs. Clarke said, blushing.
Just family, Nina, Eleanor replied. Whats the trouble?
My sewing machine has jammed again the bobbin is stuck and I cant get it out. Ill pop round later, Im sorry, she answered.
No problem, Ill have a look, Eleanor said.
She turned back to the kitchen and addressed Thomas and Olivia:
Ill be with the neighbour for five minutes. The kettles already on, so please make yourself at home, dear.
Eleanor solved the neighbours problem quickly and hurried back. As she paused in the hallway, a remark caught her ear and made her pause.
Ol, Ive done the maths, Thomas said, that flat could fetch at least £150,000, while the little twobedroom where Mum plans to move is worth around £50,000.
And you expect Mum to hand us the difference? A hundred thousand each? Olivia asked.
Exactly, and not just a hundred thousand a hundred and twentythousand, Thomas answered.
Where will she find that? Olivia pressed.
I told you Id done my homework. Why does Mother need two rooms? Shes sixtyfive. She wont be entertaining many visitors, and with her sisters she can simply share a kitchen and a pot of tea.
Honestly, a singleroom flat would be more than enough for her. A decent one, even with a fresh finish, could be bought for about £60,000.
I was looking at places not out on the edge but nearer the centre, in a relatively new block, close to shops and the clinic, Thomas explained.
Im not sure Mum will agree, Olivia hesitated.
Why not? Im actually against the idea of her moving. But if shes being pushed back to her hometown, perhaps shell do something nice for us as well.
Eleanor had indeed been thinking of returning to her native town for some time. When she and her husband first moved to the Midlands, she was already fortyfive. At that age one does not make many new friends; she had a few acquaintances, but it was nothing like the bonds formed in youth.
She had not wanted to move then to quit her job, pull the children out of school and start afresh in an unfamiliar place. Yet her husband was offered a good position at a local engineering works, and she consented.
Twenty years passed: work, family, occasional trips back home. Two years ago her husband died unexpectedly.
By then Thomas and Olivia each had families of their own, and Eleanor felt as if she were floating in a vacuum. When she retired, the loneliness grew, and the thought of moving resurfaced, especially as her sisters called her often.
She did not wait for her daughters answer. She banged the kitchen door as if she had just arrived.
Thomas and Olivia were already at the table. Emma had poured tea into the cups and cut a slice of fruit cake that Eleanor had baked for their arrival.
Mum, are you really set on moving? Olivia asked.
Yes. With your father gone, theres nothing anchoring me here. After twenty years this house never felt like home.
What about us? The grandchildren? Olivia gasped.
Olivia, youve got your own lives, your own worries. I dont want to be a burden. Your children are grown; they no longer need a nanny. Why should I sit on a park bench with other pensioners, clutching a walking stick?
It might interest someone else, but not me. What else is left? Books and the telly? My sisters live nearby, many old friends. Not far from the town, in the village, is the family house where everyone gathers for the summer.
You know, I keep dreaming that Im back in the old town, walking down the familiar lanes, and everyone I meet feels like an old acquaintance, Thomas said.
Alright, Mum, what about the flat? Thomas steered the conversation toward practicality.
Ill sell this one and buy a new one, she replied.
Do you want a hand with the sale? Thomas offered.
Ill go through an agency. The advertisement is already out, so Ill start packing slowly.
Mum, Im not offering help just for the sake of it. There are crooks everywhere these days. You could end up penniless and homeless.
Dont worry. Lisa Cole will help with the sale shes the wife of Uncle John, my brotherinlaw. Remember her? Eleanor said.
Lisa runs her own estate office. Natashas also a reliable agent; they helped Paul buy his house not long ago, she added.
How much are you aiming for? Thomas asked.
Lisa says £150,000 is a fair price, though we could start a little higher. Ive been checking the listings myself the market is as it is.
And flats are cheaper elsewhere, Olivia noted.
Yes, a similar twobedroom here goes for about £100,000.
Mum, Olivia and I have a request, Thomas said. After you sell, could you give each of us about £50,000?
£50,000 each? Then I wont have enough for my new home, Eleanor replied.
Why not? You could buy something smaller, perhaps a onebedroom, Thomas suggested.
A onebedroom would be cramped for me. I need two rooms: a bedroom and a sitting room, Eleanor answered.
Some families of three manage in a singleroom flat, Thomas replied.
Yes, those who cant afford larger places. I can afford something bigger, and I dont understand why I should give it up. I want to live comfortably.
Mum, it would be fair to us, since its a family flat, Olivia said.
Thomas, I never expected wed be talking about this, but remember your fathers will gave you everything you were entitled to, Eleanor reminded them.
He didnt shortchange you. All I got was the flat. And now you ask me to split it with you?
Thomass comment was a bit rough, Olivia interjected to smooth things over. He meant that if you have some money left, you could help us.
He has a mortgage; Illya and I want to buy a cottage. Even £25,000 would help.
Even if you buy a £200,000 house, youll still have a million left, you know, Thomas said.
Thats true, but Ill need the remainder for the move, the renovations, and furnishing the new place Ill have to buy furniture and appliances.
The spare cash will be my safety net, in case illness strikes. Im not getting any younger and I dont want to be a burden to you or other relatives.
So you wont be giving us anything? Thomas asked.
Thomas, Im surprised youve even brought this up. Youre thirtyseven, Olivia thirtyfour. Both of you are universityeducated, you and your spouses have steady jobs, Eleanor said.
You still have several years of mortgage to pay, but youre not in dire straits. 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, we didnt. Mother, were sorry for starting this conversation, Olivia admitted. We just thought
You thought that the mother who has always helped you would never say no, Eleanor replied.
I wouldnt have refused if you truly needed it. But I think youll manage: Thomas will clear the mortgage, Illya and I will save for the cottage, and everything will be fine.
Eleanor did exactly as she had planned: she sold the flat, moved back to her hometown, and bought a new place not far from the cottage where she and her late husband had lived once. Relatives helped her settle in and refurbish the rooms. Now, each morning as she opens the curtains, Eleanor Whitby feels, at last, truly at home.
