“Where are you off to? We’ve come to visit, you know,” asserted Sarah, arms crossed.
“I can’t stand your sister!” grumbled Helen, wrinkling her nose in displeasure. “She drives me up the wall!”
“You’re not the only one!” chimed in Tom in support of his wife.
“She pokes her nose into everything and thinks she’s the smartest. If only you could see the triumphant way she looks at me when she manages to get under my skin,” Helen said through gritted teeth. “First, my education is apparently subpar, then it’s my outdated makeup…”
“She’s always been that way,” Tom shrugged. “Unfortunately, it’s all thanks to Mum, who always let her get away with things and spoiled her.”
“Good thing we live sixty miles from your family,” Helen scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Tom’s mum, Margaret, and his sister, Sarah, lived in the city, while he and Helen had settled in a nearby village. Both women were widowed and shared an apartment, so when Tom and Helen visited Margaret, they inevitably encountered Sarah too.
Sarah had a strong dislike for her sister-in-law, leading to inevitable bickering between them. For the first couple of visits, Helen clenched her teeth in silence, but eventually, she decided to stand her ground. Seeing an opportunity, Margaret would also start picking on Helen.
This led to arguments with every visit, prompting Helen and Tom to decide to stop visiting his family altogether.
Margaret soon noticed their absence and began calling Tom for explanations.
“Why haven’t you been visiting? We haven’t seen you in a fortnight. Didn’t it occur to you that Mum and your sister miss you?” she scolded.
“We’ve been busy, no time,” Tom replied curtly, avoiding details.
“Busy with what, may I ask?” Margaret pressed skeptically. “Is your wife forbidding you? Last time she left with a face like she’d just swallowed sour grapes.”
“I said we’re busy,” Tom repeated and swiftly ended the call.
An hour later, Margaret called again, announcing that she and Sarah were coming to the village.
“Why?” Tom asked, surprised.
“A childhood friend is nearby, and I thought I’d also drop by to see you since you can’t seem to visit us,” Margaret explained matter-of-factly.
Tom’s expression changed immediately. He hadn’t avoided visiting just for them to turn up unannounced.
“We probably won’t be home,” he tried to discourage his mother and sister from visiting.
“Where would you go?” asked Margaret irritably. “I have a feeling you just don’t want to see us. If that’s the case, just say so.”
“We’re off to a friend’s birthday,” Tom improvised.
“Go ahead, not like a mother and sister visit every day,” Margaret replied, hurt, and hung up.
Tom felt a bit guilty toward his mum and sister, but recalling how they treated Helen stopped him from feeling too bad.
He decided not to mention the potential visit to Helen to avoid unnecessary worry. However, three hours later, a knock on the door caught them off guard. Helen opened the door to find a smug Margaret and Sarah. She wasn’t expecting a family visit.
As Tom remembered Margaret and Sarah’s imminent arrival, he dashed to the hallway just as Helen opened the door.
“Helen, ready to go? Aren’t you dressed yet?” Tom criticised, feigning ignorance of the unexpected guests.
“Go where?” Helen asked, bewildered.
“To the birthday party. Did you forget?” Tom forced a smile. “Oh, Mum, Sarah, what a surprise!”
“We came to visit, as I mentioned,” Margaret replied calmly. “Are you going to invite us in or keep us at the doorstep?”
“No, we can’t. We’re heading out. Helen, hurry and get dressed,” Tom commanded, grabbing his wife’s hand.
Helen gave Tom a questioning look, and when he winked, she realised he was trying to show the guests out.
“Where do you think you’re going? We’ve come to visit,” Sarah challenged, hands on hips. “Isn’t it a bit late to be off to a party?”
“No, we’re expected by eight,” Tom fibbed again. “We’re supposed to be there in half an hour.”
“In those tracksuit bottoms?” Margaret laughed, noting Tom’s casual attire.
“Darn, forgot to change,” Tom flushed and dashed to the bedroom.
Sarah and Margaret exchanged distrustful glances as they watched them go. The women found the hasty departure suspicious, convinced the couple concocted a story to dodge their visit.
“Can’t you cancel just for us?” Margaret queried as Tom re-emerged, now properly dressed.
“No, we can’t,” Tom insisted, adjusting his shirt collar. “We’ve been invited ages ago, and everything’s paid for each guest. Come by next week,” he offered, knowing his mother would decline.
“We could stay in your flat while you’re out,” Sarah suggested after glancing around. “We could wait, so to speak.”
“No, why would you?” Tom retorted firmly. “Don’t you have somewhere else to go?”
“Well, I’d prefer my son’s place over an old friend’s,” Margaret chuckled. “Besides, she wasn’t thrilled to see us either.”
“Want me to drop you at the coach station?” Tom asked, implying he wouldn’t leave them at his place.
“No more buses to the city, and surely you can’t drive us,” Sarah teased, smiling slyly.
“I can book a hotel for the night,” Tom offered a solution. “That’s the best I can do.”
Margaret furrowed her brow in disappointment. She’d hoped Tom would let them stay.
“Is it a hotel, then?” Sarah’s voice cut in. “Do you not trust us in your flat? Afraid we’ll rob you?”
“No, we just don’t want to,” Helen interjected. “Why leave someone in our home without us?”
“Let me at least take you to the hotel,” Tom suggested again to defuse the tension.
“We’ll manage,” Margaret retorted, turning on her heel to leave the flat.
Sarah followed, cursing and muttering complaints about her brother and sister-in-law under her breath.
Watching them storm out from their window, Tom and Helen sighed in relief. The invented birthday outing was no longer necessary.
Margaret and Sarah called a taxi to the city, vowing never to deal with those neglectful relatives again.
Tom only thought of his family when he needed to see a doctor or have a meal in town. His sister Sarah opened the door, and, seeing her brother, coolly informed him they were about to go out and had no intention of leaving a stranger in their apartment.
Tom realised with displeasure that his mum and sister were still deeply offended. This encounter further strained their relationships, fracturing them entirely.
