I was at Emily’s house when her father arrived. He brought in some groceries and found us sitting together in the lounge. The moment he saw me, he raised his chin and started making it clear that he was displeased with me being there. Emily led him into the kitchen, but I still overheard him muttering rather loudly, calling me country lad and accusing me of wanting Emilys flat. He mentioned he’d seen me hanging about near his daughters home more than once and almost implied I was some sort of stalker.
What surprised me most was that Emily agreed with him, insisting we only worked together at the university library once a month and that was why we were always seen together. In reality, wed been seeing each other for two months, and Id just managed to tell Emily that my parents having a house in the outskirts didnt mean I was from the countryside. We live quite near the city, in a nice two-storey house, and my dad runs his own business. Sure, I dont drive flashy foreign cars or shout from the rooftops about coming from a well-off family, but I actually prefer it that way. That’s how you filter out people like Emily and her family.
My mum always advised me not to talk about money, because the person you love shouldnt care about that first and foremost. And, really, they shouldnt be ashamed of you, even if you dont appear wealthy at first glance. Today reminded me just how true her advice was: its not about appearances, but about who sticks around when it matters.
