All right, I get it, Victor said, his voice heavy with resignation. Theyre kicking us out of our own house.
Victor, Mum and I are on our way to you! Natalie shouted over the phone at three in the morning.
Dont come, Victor replied drowsily, were asleep!
Victor, this isnt a joke! Get a bed for Mum and find a pullout sofa for me! Natalie snapped, frustration clear.
We dont have any pullouts, and every bedroom is taken! he said, yawning contagiously.
Are you kidding me? his sister shrieked into the receiver.
Sister, what do you want from me? Why are you coming here at night? You have your own flat, go spend the night there! Victor snapped, pulling the handset away. He spoke into his wifes ear, Anna, Mum and the little one are at the door! Theyre breaking in!
Cant you find another time? Anna asked, halfasleep.
Im glad were on the same page! Victor smiled.
Natalie kept babbling, punctuating her pleas with sighs and sharp intakes of breath.
Just give me the facts! Victor demanded.
Victor! The front doors jammed!
Badly? he asked.
First the lock stuck, then the hinges came offcentre and refused to close. When I tried to push it back, it seized and now the lock wont turn! Natalie sobbed, her voice cracking. Were in our nightgowns on the doorstep! Were neighbours, but you know how troublesome they are!
Fascinating! Victor grinned widely. The revenge of the door has finally caught you!
His wife, listening, shook her head theatrically, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh that threatened to burst out.
Victor, well have to wait until morning and then call a locksmith! Call a blackcab and pay by card! Weve got cash in the flat! Natalie barked.
So youre staying or leaving? Victor tried to clarify.
Dont be daft! Natalie shouted. Were stuck here like two hens under these cursed doors!
In a perfect world, parents love all their children equally, giving what they can. As kids grow, favourites emerge, just like in any family. The cherished get more; the rest get whats left.
When Victor decided to get married, his younger sister Natalie immediately raised the issue of him sharing the flat with his new wife, Anna.
Victor, shes your wife, Im just a sisterinlaw! And Ive got my own place! I want to come and go as I please!
And why not? Victor was taken aback.
The very thought of someone else living here makes me uncomfortable! Natalie quoted a line shed read online.
What kind of discomfort? Victor frowned. Were at work during the day. In the morning you and Mum are still sleeping, and at night were home by ourselves!
Of course! Natalie huffed. You wont even use the bathroom? I might be in a yoga class then!
Trust me, theres nothing exciting for us here! Victor said. Whos going to watch you?
Victor! Natalie wailed, then added her mother to the call. Tell him! Why do we need a stranger in the house?
Natalie, said Nora, the mother, shes Victors wife, and youre the daughterinlaw. That makes her practically family.
Thats distant kin, not a housemate! Mum, I dont want to live like its a council flat!
Nora, who always favored her daughter because Victor reminded her of the husband whod abandoned her years ago, leaned in gently:
Victor, we love you, but we barely know Anna. Well meet her, but moving in together right away feels wrong. Youre a man, after all you cant be living on Mums lap forever. You have kids, Natalies still young
Victor sighed, All clear, I understand. Theyre kicking us out of our own home!
Victor, no ones kicking you out, his mother said. We just want to avoid unnecessary trouble.
You can live without a wife, Natalie said, but with a wife, go your own way!
Anna sensed something was off between Victor, his mother and sister, as they had planned to stay together after the wedding to save for a house deposit. Three weeks before the ceremony, Victor moved his belongings into a rented flat and brought Anna with him. Anna saw the tension, but didnt interfere. She wasnt thrilled about sharing a roof with Victors relatives, yet she endured it for his sake.
It didnt work out, and thats fine, she told her friend. Victor looks so gloomy.
Anna, stay out of it! her friend Katie warned. Itll keep you sane!
Ill be there, but Victors having a hard time! Katie replied. Thats what a wife is for, to support him!
Victor, though usually compliant, quickly let go of any grudges when his own familys problems piled up. He needed to sort out his life, and then Anna gave birth to a son.
Theres nowhere else to turn, he said sadly. We wont be able to save much more. Well just scrape by.
I agree, Anna said. When the mortgage payment comes, well have to pay, whether we like it or not.
They took out a thirtyyear mortgage. Theyd hoped for twenty years, but the monthly instalment would have taken the joy out of their lives. Four years after their first son Tom was born, the happiness faded. Their second boy, Roman, arrived with a triumphant cry.
No worries! Victor shouted. Well manage!
Of course, love! Anna encouraged. Where will we go?
When Roman turned five, Victor managed to get two tickets for a seaside resort. They seldom vacationed, usually just visiting Annas family in the country, where the garden work felt like a holiday. Then the offer came:
Anna! Theres a spa resort with a pool, treatments, a disco for the overthirties, fivetimesaday meals! Its practically royal!
The kids?
For a small extra fee we could bring them, or maybe give them a break?
Shall we lock them in a playroom or send them to my mums village? Anna said with a smile.
The jokes about locking them up were just that jokes. Shed never actually watch the children all day; work, the garden, and the house kept her busy. Shed simply put them in a room with the TV and feed them on schedule.
Mum, Victor asked, can I take the kids with me for a week? Anna and I want a break.
And where would you go? Natalie asked, shutting the mouthpiece.
To a health spa out of town, Victor replied. We havent really rested in eight years.
So youre off to a spa and were left to mind your little bandits? Natalie snapped, laughing cruelly. Brilliant plan!
Mum, Victor continued, addressing his mother, not his sister. Theyre harmless boys. Feed them, check theyre dressed, put them to bed on time. Otherwise theyre practically on their own.
Hmm, Nora mused.
No! Natalie interjected for her mother. Mum and I just finished renovating, new furniture and all that costs a fortune!
And now your kids will wreck it all? Youll have to compensate? And sometimes I have a man over. Theres never enough space for the kids!
Mum! Victor shouted, his hope draining.
Son, the renovation is fresh, and Natalies sorting her life. You and Anna are a family, sort your own problems!
Thanks, Mum! Victor managed between breaths.
They left for the spa with the children, and Victor didnt speak of his relatives for weeks, still nursing his wounds. Trouble struck unexpectedly, and Victor had to turn to his family for help.
Mum, Natalie, Annas salarys been delayed. We need to pay the mortgage instalment urgently. Can you lend us a few days? Victor pleaded.
Son, we dont have any spare cash, Nora admitted, looking at her daughter.
We do, Natalie patted her mothers hand, dont worry!
You just saved my skin! Victor exhaled, relief flooding him.
No! Natalie declared firmly. Youll have to sort yourself out. Weve set aside money for the new front door. The installers coming next week; we need a deposit for the work as well!
Natalie, why are you paying? I only asked for four days! Victor snapped.
Its unclear how youll repay! I need to pay the carpenter in a week, then the door installer in five days, and I must settle everything!
Then youll pay, Natalie! Victor shouted, desperate. Our situation is urgent! The loan is due tomorrow, the salary arrives the day after. Ill bring the money straight away or transfer it!
You talk nicely, but Im not going to hand over the door for free! If they delay you again, what will I do?
Lets go to the solicitor now and sort everything, even if the fees are astronomical!
Ill wait for your fines, the door promotion will end! So, brother, off you go, dont cough!
Victor managed to get the money to the solicitor before the deadline, though his mother and sister ended up on his blacklist. He told Anna everything, and she replied with a line shed once read:
A wise person doesnt seek revenge; they wait for life to repay them.
The waiting didnt last long
Here we are! Victor said. My cards empty! I dont feel like looking for help for anyone right now!
Youve lost it! Were family!
And the door! Victor added. Your jammed door was the final chord, after which I have no desire to speak to you again!
How can you be so low, son? his mothers voice rang.
Im not seeking revenge, Victor replied. Im finally repaying the debts!
You never took anything from us? Natalie asked, missing his hint.
I took your love, care, and attention Victor said. The very things you gave me. Now Im returning them in equal measure!
He hung up, the line went dead. It wasnt vengeance; it was a debt finally settled.
