It was the dream of my husband and me to live by the sea. For ten endless years we journeyed to the waves, never really belonging, scrimping and saving every penny to finally buy a home in a coastal town. We never aimed for a fancy penthouse; all we wanted was a simple two or three-bedroom flat, and truly, we weren’t bothered by the specifics of the décor.
And thenfinallyour wish took shape. Of course, my husband and I still had loans to wrestle with, but we had reached our goal. The sea, our very own flat just footsteps from the shore, precisely as we had hoped.
We sighed in relief and, for a wonderful two months, relaxed without a care. Then, my mother came to visit. Delighted to see our cozy apartment, she casually asked for a spare set of keys, so she could pop by whenever she fancied, without arranging it first. My husband and I had no inkling that her key would breed a whole host of new keys.
One morning, while still in bed, we heard the lock click and a knock at the door. My husband, only half awake and assuming it was dear Mum, quickly dressed and went to greet the early visitor. To his astonishment, upon opening the door, he found a family with two children in the hallway. When I joined the curious little welcoming party, I realized it was my cousins family.
At the time, we did the only thing we could think ofpretended to be overjoyed at the unexpected reunion. My sister, quite breezily, explained that shed made an extra set from my mothers copy, and Mum had assured her wed be simply thrilled with a surprise.
These holidaymakers settled in for a week. Theyd brought provisions with them, so worries about food were minor. But having another family, especially one on a seaside retreat, in our flat did nothing for my husbands or my peace of mind.
Once we saw my cousins family off, I called my mother and asked her (rather firmly) not to host more spontaneous gatherings of relatives in our home. Mum seemed puzzled, asking honestly what was stressing me out, claiming nothing was wrong at all, and my sister was thrilled with the way we had welcomed them. She even expected more free seaside stays in the summer.
After that, a flood of other relatives appearedspurred on by Mum. Uncles, aunts, nephews, and assorted close ones appeared in our flat like magic. Sometimes, the timing would muddle and several visitors arrived at once. They greeted each other, laughing, and echoed the classic English cheer:
Well, where else would we gather but at Samanthas house!
Samantha (me), however, was barely noticed, and my husband even less; after all, the real owners were just wandering aboutwhat were we, really, compared to the righteous arrival of the village folk?
After two seasons of these drop-ins, I asked Mum to return our keys. She seemed very wounded, accusing me of snobbery and of growing distant from the family. When I told my husband about my conversation with Mum, he hugged me and said,
You do realize there are so many keys out there that Mums set makes no difference. If you dont mind, tomorrow well fit a new door and locks.
I didnt mind at all. A week later, trying not to make a sound, we listened for an hour as someone attempted to open our new door with old keysstrange intruders from another dimension. Then my mobile rang and rang, but we stood steadfast, not answering.
That evening, a heated exchange with Mum unfolded. She shouted indignantly about my third cousin, who had to spend the night at the station, waiting for his train. When I asked Mum what this uninvited guests name was, she responded with short, sharp beeps
Afterwards, there were two more futile attempts for our relatives to possess our flat. Our new door passed the endurance test handsomely. My husband and I finally gained the confidencethis place was our own, not a thoroughfare for wayfarers.
Now, Mum keeps her distance, in solidarity with the relatives. I still try to maintain a civil relationship with her, but I dont intend to let anyone else enter our home. This is our territorywon by our own hard work.
Oddly, none of my relatives ever thought to follow our example and buy a seaside home themselves. Yet, when it came to swooping in, everyone else was delightedunlike us!.
