Everyone always seemed to deceive my brother, but somehow it was I, Emily, who ended up feeling cheated…
It was the middle of the night when the phone rang, sharp and insistent.
Em, its Mum. Theres a fire. The house is burning. I could barely make out her words through her sobs, the crackle of flames, the shouts in the background.
Sleep vanished in an instant. I cursed the distancethe family house was more than fifteen kilometres from the city. Large, yes, but so very old. The town kept creeping outward, the village quietly inching forward to meet it. I tried to think back: how many years had that house already stood?
Grandads grandfather built the original cottage, and then Grandad himself added that ramshackle summer floor on top while Dad tried to modernise later, turning the second floor into something vaguely liveable and warm.
The house crept wider, toosomeone had tacked on a long veranda. To a stranger, it might have looked solid, but we all knew the truth. Damp in summer, bitterly cold every winter.
It was quietly rotting beneath the surface, inching closer to collapse. Everyone saw it. We should have torn it down, but my mother absolutely refused.
Just needs a bit of work, love. Nothing wrong that a thorough fix-up cant put right. Your father left it to memy call.
Theres only enough for repairs, not a new house.
Mum, why do you need such a big place? Youd be happier in a smaller one. There are affordable designs noweven two-stories if you like. You could clear some space at last for your roses. I reasoned, but in vain.
You dont get it, Emily, my brother Max always cut in. This is the family home. Our roots, you know? Heritage, estatecall it what you will. Needs preserving, not bulldozing. A bit of real renovation and itll be good as new.
Max always sided with Mum. Mum always backed Max. It didnt matter how sensible my suggestions were, theyd shoot them down. Id already accepted it.
Every time some ill-fated project of Maxswith Mum staunchly supportingwent sour, I just shrugged. Let them have it their way.
Repairs, then. Fine. Do your repairs.
But love, we will need a little help from youmaybe, if we run short. I did get a decent sum; I sold the old flat cousin Claire inherited. Its not like she was using it, way up north.
You sold the London flat? For this? You could build ten houses for what that was worth!
I just had half, Em. The other half belongs to her son. He bought me out. I didnt exactly get top whack, but it was the best he could do.
Mum! You never needed it. Nor us. Couldnt you just
Give it away? Ive got my own family to think of, thank you.
Well, perhaps youre right. Do what you want with the house. If you dont need anything, I should get going.
A month later, the phone rang againanother midnight call. The house had burned to the ground. My husband, Michael, and I arrived at dawn to the smouldering remains; there was nothing left to save.
Emily, why not let your mum have one of our flats for the time being? The one on Victoria Roadthe tenants have just moved out.
I thought of it, but its really your flat.
Em, love, everythings ours. Your mother needs somewhere to go. Itll mean less rent coming in, but we still have the others, and this is what families do.
In the end, thats what we did. We moved Mum in, got her everything she needed. I went round one day without warning, dropping off groceries. Oddly, there was a telly in her roomthe very one wed bought for her last birthday. The smell of coffee was thick in the air.
Mum, you said everything was lost. Thats the same telly. And the coffee machine?
What, you think I pinched it? We cleared everything out before the builders came. The insurance peoplethey needed to see bare walls. Theres nothing odd about that. Max has got the resthe hasnt had the cash to get new furniture. Ive already moved my things from his.
Wait. Max bought a flat? With what?
He just did! I didnt ask.
Something was offI could feel it, even if shed never say it. Mum always favoured Max. Poor old Maxalways unlucky, always being taken advantage of, though I was the only one who ever felt truly deceived. Just another trick, surely.
What will you do about the ruins? The lands good, youve got some cash and the insurance payout.
Nothing left there, just ashes. Ill sell the plot. Nice, being able to rely on a daughter whos done well for herself. But poor Maxjust debts
You could buy yourself a nice place, I offered.
Arent you going to kick your own mum out?
Michael owns this flat.
You lot have plenty. Ill manage.
Maybe well rebuild on the old site, do something modern, proper. Everyone else nearby has these glossy new houses.
No, Ive decided. Ill sell it. The house always went to the men, anyway, and Max wouldnt want the village life. He needs all his city comforts.
Its your call.
Later, I told Michael, Mums planning to sell her land.
She can if she wants, but its a shame not to build. That place always felt right to me. Your Dad loved that old linden in the garden.
I minded when it died. Almost like a sign. Shall we build there ourselves?
Id love it. Weve always talked about a house of our own. The kids would be thrilledmight even bring the grandkids one day.
Dreamer.
Why not let your mum live there too if she wants?
Wed have to buy the land firstmake sure everythings above board. I do have that unlucky brother to consider.
Ill sort it. Shell be selling up soon. Unless you think we should just ask her direct?
She wont sell to us. Shell make a game of it.
Then well just go through the agent
Why not come to me? Mum said, suddenly frostily.
You need the money, Mum. Now you can get a good place of your own.
She said nothingher plans for a new place never materialised.
Michael and I built our house. It took every bit of our savings and a mortgage, but we kept up with the repayments just fine, between our jobs and renting out the flats.
With the move, things got easierwe rented out the third place too. Mum never bought herself anywhere in the end. All her cash went straight to Max, who fumbled it away on his mortgage. The insurance payout never arrived. Turns out the fire wasnt quite as straightforward as shed let onmost belongings had already been moved out, someone may have even set it. Nobody got what they hoped for.
Mum would come round for tea sometimes.
Its all so open and bright here, Em. Maxs place is just two rooms for the four of them now. No room for their growing children.
Told them sodont scrimp on living space. And to think you turned down our help with rebuilding
You tried, I suppose. Now, how about we do a swap? You take your old flat back and I move in here. Maybe Max could come with me. This house should go to the menfamily tradition, after all.
Youre joking. We built it; its not an heirloom any more. Would have sold it himself if hed inherited it anyway.
His right. Thats the way its been for generations.
Generations? The place is only eighty years old, Mum.
No use fighting. When do we exchange?
Whatour house for our own flat? Mum, youre only listed there, thats all. We didnt have to even do that.
We know you put everything you had into Max. If not for us, everything wouldve gone his way, as usual. Now this house and land are rightfully ours. Max has no claim.
Youve got so much already, its no wonder he cant catch a break!
He had the proceeds from the city flat, nearly had the insurance, got all Dads savings, even his car. Is that not enough? We worked hard for this, Mum; this luck of mine is entirely self-made.
Hes just trusting, always being taken for a ride.
If anyone was cheated, its mealways me. The land, the house, all paid for, all legal. Hell never own it, but wed never turn you away. Come as a guest whenever you like.
One day, my cousin DavidMums nephew from Londonturned up.
Thought Id check in on my struggling relatives. Aunt Susan said you were on the breadline, scraping by. Nice little palace youve got here!
Mum said that? Of course
I had to get a loanonly just paid it off. Ive brought you something, Emily. Mum said to give you these earrings. She insisted.
The restAfter the funeral, Aunt Susan said all the gold was hers, swore your mother promised her. I managed to sneak the jewellery box away before she could have a look. I didnt believe her then, but now I do. Anyway, these earrings are yoursis what Mum wanted.
Good thing you did. Otherwise everything wouldve ended up with Max. Some people just want everything handed to them, dont they? We slog it out, while they are simply spoilt.
Dont give any to herkeep it, maybe sell if you need the cash. She was fibbing, Id stake my life on it.
Really? Tell me everything
Mum doesnt visit much these daysher knees act up. Max is always busy, being led astray by others. Michael and I live simply, but happily, and the kids are thriving. David comes often, too. Life rolls forward, andas they say hereyou make your own luck, best you can…
