I was irritated, honestly, by the fact that I was always up at the crack of dawn, battling through rain and snow to get to work, sitting in traffic jams for hours and listening to my bosses, while my wife spent all day at home. Frankly, I envied her. Our children are eight and twelveold enough to look after themselvesand anyone can peel and boil a potato with a bit of common sense.
But my wife was just as fed up with my constant grumbling. She suggested we swap places for my holidayshed take a job at the hair salon where her friend worked for two weeks and bring in the money, while Id take over running the house: ferrying the kids to school, picking them up, cleaning, cooking.
I wasnt thrilled about wasting my precious time off like this, but she insisted. If I managed and liked it, shed get a permanent job, and I could quit mine for good.
The first morning, she left for work and practically dragged me out of bed to get the kids up and ready for school. Finding clothes for each of them, persuading them to eat breakfast, walking them to schoolless than a mile, but I was clueless, having always relied on buses. Then, as shed told me, I took the laundry to the dry-cleaners, dropped into Tesco, and ended up having a row with the cashier. Before Id even made it home, it was time to pick the children up again.
At school, the teachers told me our youngest had been watching cartoons on her mobile in class, refusing to study, and needed more help at home with her homework. Back home, I whipped up a quick lunch, fed the kids, and remembered Id forgotten to tidy up and do the washing. I sorted that, and then sat down to supervise their homeworkended up doing most of it myself for the younger one. Hung out the wet clothes, ironed the dry ones. Just as I finished, my wife messaged: shed be home soon, and was craving something delicious for supper.
I laid the table for her, the children piled in, and we all ate dinner together. My wife, exhausted, settled in front of the telly while I washed up, once again. By the time I crawled into bed, I was asleep before my head even touched the pillow.
The next morning the alarm went offwe still had school runs, I hadnt escaped the daily routine.
So, what do you think? my wife asked before leaving, cheerful and radiant. Theyre already asking if Ill come in next week. I have a feeling theyd hire me. Think it over and let me know tonight whether I should take the job.
Im almost embarrassed to admit it, but Im completely worn outId rather go back to my job. Earning a wage is so much sweeter than doing the laundry, cooking and housework for nothing.
