Eleanor and Simon have been seeing each other for two years now. For the past few months, they’ve been sharing a flatmy mother’s old place. There had been talk about selling it or letting it, but since my sons relationship was blossoming, my wife and I decided to gift them the flat. Its an ordinary two-bedroom on the first floor.
No ones done up the place in ages; it really needs a lick of paint and a good spruce up. Young people these days fancy everything to look like a White Company cataloguewhite walls, expensive wooden floors, minimalist light fittings that look like floating clouds. We thought Simon would set to work on the renovations as soon as they settled in, but he keeps putting it off, as if time has turned oddly elastic.
My wife nudged me to have a word with Simon, to find out why nothings getting done. He said its all down to Eleanor. While they share the bills equallyrent, Wi-Fi, milk for their endless teathere are urgent repairs needed, but she refuses to spend a penny more. Since theyre not married, shes nervous about pouring her savings into a flat she might never call her forever home.
What sort of take-what-you-can attitude is this? She seems to be waiting for Simon to pop the question, happy to drift along on someone else’s hard work without so much as investing a shilling in the future.
Simon doesnt seem in a rush to propose, yet he wanted them to live together, and now my wife takes Eleanors side, saying its easier resting your head at night when youre a wife.
Is it really so different, being married or not, when youre already sharing a life?
I cant help thinking Eleanors simply biding her time, hoping Simon will redecorate the place from skirting board to ceilingspending his own poundswhile she glides through, untouched by the dust and worry of it all.
