Monday 4 February 2008

Awards and Twins


I have been awarded the E for excellent award from Debio and now from Akelamalu as well.

Many thanks, you two. I am delighted by this award, and glowing to start a Monday morning. What a boost! But rather than pass it on to five specific people, I think you all deserve it. Please collect and display as you see fit. Or not.

And to continue my story of the tenants, which keeps being interrupted – the next lot were twins who said they were eighteen. I thought, No Way are we having eighteen year olds living upstairs. The place will be a tip, they’ll have endless parties, it’ll be unbearable. (I hadn’t run the student accommodation office at Falmouth art college for nothing. I could tell you stories that would make you weep.)

But faced with the prospect of 18 year old twins, Himself’s eyes lit up, as you can imagine.

In fact the girls came to see the flat with their grandparents and Himself knew the grandfather from sailing days. “I’ll vouch for the girls,” said the grandmother. “If there’s any problem, I’ll sort them out. And don’t worry about the rent. I’ll pay that.”
So we eventually decided in favour of the girls. Or rather, Himself spent hours persuading me until I gave in.

In fact they were great tenants. Their mother had died several years before and the grandmother had brought them up, and done a very good job. They were polite, didn’t play music too loud (or if they did, they were extremely apologetic and turned it down at once) and being at college and then working at Macdonalds, they were out all day.

There was only one incident when they woke us up and that was one summer evening. We’d gone to bed early and I woke with a start, hearing whispering outside our bedroom window. (This was before Mollie, of course, or she would have barked the place down.)

I froze. All senses on alert, I lay there, my pulse banging in my ears. There was a burglar outside. They were about to break the window – murder us in our beds. What should I do? No phone by the bed – should I sneak out and ring the police from next door?

Then a knock on the window. More whispering.

As Himself was out for the count, I crept out of bed and tiptoed to the window, convinced I was taking my last breaths but would die a true heroic death.

I flung back the curtain – and there was one of the twins with her boyfriend.

“I’m really sorry,” she hissed. “But I’ve locked myself out and my sister’s away for the weekend.”

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. But all things considered, they were great tenants. They’re attractive, intelligent and caring girls and their mum would be proud of them.

13 comments:

Cornish Dreamer said...

It sounds like they were very good tenants FP, and even better that there was only one problem (although it must have been pretty scary at the time!).

Thank you v. much for looking after our house while we're away (I'm really missing it already!), I hope you enjoy the firewood ;@)

RT

Elaine Denning said...

You never can tell, can you? It's so easy to prejudge people...I've done it so many times myself. I used to work for a lettings agency and I found that sometimes the teenage tearaways were the ones who paid their rent on time and kept the place nice and tidy. It was the middle aged single men who caused all the problems!

the rotten correspondent said...

When you think about what they could have done to you I guess that's pretty small potatoes. Thank goodness.

Flowerpot said...

RT - Curtain Duty is going well. Firewood even better - it's so good that he;s had to use some to make a shelf with!

Flowerpot said...

MissU - you're so right. I used to prejudge people a lot. I try not to nowadays!

RC - Yes. I had plenty of nightmare scenarios at the art college!

Anonymous said...

It makes you want to take in a lodger. Or maybe not!

Crystal xx

Flowerpot said...

Crystal - I could never have a lodger living with us. Oh no! This lot have entirely separate accommodation. Believe me, that makes a big difference to us all!

Akelamalu said...

You deserve the award honey - more than twice! :)

You can never tell with folk can you - the ones you think will cause you the most trouble turn out to be the best!

Flowerpot said...

Ak - that's very kind - and you deserve it too! And no, you can't ever tell with people. But it'd be boring if you could!

laurie said...

you would have loved the 18-year-old me as tenant. but you would have hated the 24-year-old me.

nuff said.

Little Wing said...

Hi Flowerpot, I am here from the blog of Akelamalu.
What a great tenant story!

Flowerpot said...

laurie - I was the most terrible tenant, at 18 and 24 so I shouldn't complain!

Flowerpot said...

Little Wing - good to meet you and do call this way again.