Her friend forgot to hang up after the call, and Sophie learned plenty about her own family
After hearing this story from my friend, I completely changed the way I looked at people, and so did my husband. We started spending less time with our mates and told them far less about our personal lives. No, we didn’t stop trusting them, and we still get along, but now, we dont let just anyone into our inner circle. And it all traces back to an awkward incident that happened to my friend and her husband.
My friend and her husband had close friendslong-standing ones. The husbands worked together, the wives studied together at uni. Later, my friends mate got married and had a baby the following year. She introduced her old friend to her husbands colleague, and those two started dating.
But then, the husband changed jobs, landing a much better-paying role. The friend also got a good job with a decent salary. Over time, the couples saw less of each other. My friend, meanwhile, seemed to be always on sick leave (well, to be fair, she was having kids left and right), which didnt sit well with her bosses, and eventually they sacked her using some convenient excuse.
The husband ended up shouldering the workload, trying to ensure his wife and their four children had everything they needed. Still, things werent too badthey bought a big house and managed to keep the household ticking over nicely. Their finances evened out, even if they never exactly joined the Sunday Times Rich List.
The other couple didnt have kids and focused on their careers, jetting off on fancy holidays and living in a way that would make Instagram jealous.
One day, my friend and her husband decided to invite the other couple out to their cottage in the countrysidea perfect escape from Londons chaos. They thought it would be lovely: a few barbecues, dips in the river, rambles through the woods. Besides, the weather was positively glorious. My friend’s wife rang her mate, all cheery, and explained the plan. Her friend seemed delighted but said shed run it by her husband and call back with an answer. She set her phone on the kitchen table buthere comes the twistdidnt hang up.
Thats when my friend overheard an entire conversation not meant for her ears, which left her absolutely gobsmacked.
Turns out, their so-called friends saw them as total fools who hadnt a clue about life. In their eyes, because they had four children, they must be living hand-to-mouth. Their house was supposedly falling downan embarrassment, really. The kids? Unmanageable, and frankly, why have that many? They reckoned half should be sent off to an orphanage. My friend, they claimed, was a bore who could only yammer on about her children.
Her husband, according to them, was a right piece of workrude and insufferable, barely worth a chat. Then, at last, the phone connection went dead. The couple sat there shell-shocked, even considering storming over to confront these friends and tell them exactly what they thought. But just then, the phone rangthe friends husband, all breezy, said theyd be coming down at the weekend. My friends husband muttered something polite and hung up.
The couple mulled it over and decided to let the weekend play out. The friends arrived, bearing not-so-fancy supermarket jams and equally uninspiring sweets for the kids. The husband wasted no time, immediately asking:
So, how tiny are your wages that you cant even bring anything nice? Ah, wellwell feed you properly, dont worry. Theres a cracking feast on the table. Tuck in now, then lend us a hand, weve got loads to do.
My friend and her husband were lost for wordswhat was happening here? Then the wife chimed in:
So, why havent you got kids yet?
Well, we’re not quite ready, her mate replied, keeping it cool. Weve got time.
Oh, dont worry, I already know how it is. Only daft sorts rush into kids. Us clever folk live for ourselves, my friend added rather tartly.
At that, the couple just stood speechless. Clearly, the penny had droppedthey knew, but weren’t sure how. The friends soon invented some excuse and made a hurried exit.
What do you make of that? Do you think the couple handled it the right way? Should they have been friendlier, or gone full Gordon Ramsay on their guests? What would you have done?
