Wishful Thinking (a journey that will change lives forever) (3 page)

“Well, you won’t have long to wait!” Her good humour instantly restored, Sophie opened the driver door and sat princess-like in front of the steering wheel, while her mother eased herself into the passenger seat.   She tilted forward the rear-view mirror and applied a fresh coat of lipstick.  “Ready then?” she asked, turning the key in the ignition.

“Yes.” Rosie’s back ached from trying to manoeuvre herself into what in her opinion amounted to little more than a biscuit tin.  Sophie’s swerving and quick lane-changing all the way to Malahide didn’t help much either.  

About fifteen minutes later, they pulled onto a quiet tree-lined cul-de-sac. 

Rosie was sure that behind all those large expensive wrought-iron gates, intercoms and granite stonework were equally large and expensive houses – houses that were way beyond the reach of a currently part-time insurance clerk and her department-store manager husband.  There was a For Sale sign outside the one at the end, but surely Sophie wasn’t even
dreaming
of . . .

But Sophie slowed the car in front of the house, rolled down the window and pushed the intercom button.  “Sophie Morris – I have an appointment for an eleven o’clock
viewing,” she announced, in this strange haughty voice that Rosie had never heard her use before.  

“Certainly, Ms Morris, I’ll open the gates for you now.”

“Sophie, surely you couldn’t be thinking of buying a house like this?  It must cost an absolute fortune.”

“Well, in the scheme of things, it isn’t that expensive actually,” Sophie replied airily. “Anyway, I just want you to take a look at it first and see what you think.  We’ll discuss the rest later.”

‘The rest? What rest?’ Rosie wanted to ask.

But just then it hit her.  Just then she realised why Sophie was so eager to show her this house today, why her daughter had been so been so cheerful and attentive these last few weeks, ringing her often to see how she was.  Rosie had to give her credit, to be fair. Sophie had bided her time and had waited until well after her father’s death before she once again asked ‘The Question’.

All of a sudden, Rosie felt sad and more than a little used.   She supposed she should have known better than to think that Sophie had brought her all the way out here just to get her opinion on the house.  Sophie didn’t need an opinion – her mind was already made up.

Still, deep down Rosie knew that this time she probably
would
give in and let her daughter have exactly what she wanted.  How could she not?  In truth, she would have given in that first time, only Martin wouldn’t have it.  Rosie had thought it a sensible idea, but her husband had been dead set against it, and so that had been the end of it. 

Until now.

As they approached the admittedly beautiful, but very expensive house, Rosie sighed inwardly.  Martin would not be very happy with her – not very happy at
all
. 

Almost two years earlier, Sophie, Robert and baby Claudia had visited Rosie and Martin in Wicklow one Sunday for dinner.  Sophie’s husband was a pleasant if rather quiet fellow who Rosie liked well enough, but Martin didn’t trust. 

“I can’t quite put my finger on it, Rosie – it’s just a feeling I have,” Martin had said, when Sophie and Robert had first become engaged a few years before.

“The same feeling you’ve had about every fellow she’s gone out with over the years?” Rosie teased, knowing full well that Martin’s ‘feeling’ was more than likely down to simple over-protectiveness of his little girl.

No, Robert was a nice enough lad.  He wasn’t exactly the chatty type, and normally he didn’t say too much, so Rosie couldn’t really fault him.

But on that particular day, it seemed Robert had plenty to say.

To Rosie’s delight, Sophie had arrived bearing an enormous bunch of white lilies, her mother’s favourite.  Dinner was a lively, chatty affair, but as Martin said himself to Rosie later that night, it was obvious that there was “something coming”. 

Rosie had sensed it too, and was puzzled.  It was highly unlikely Sophie was pregnant again; Claudia was only a few months old, and according to Sophie very “tiring and troublesome”. 

Rosie understood well how hard it must be for Sophie, spending all day on her own in that tiny apartment with just a small baby for company, and little or no support from friends or family.  She and Martin did their best to help out, but because Wicklow was so far away, it was difficult. 

Rosie felt for her daughter’s generation, she really did.  Back when David and Sophie were babies, most of Rosie’s neighbours in the estate were also new mothers, and as a result there was a lot of shared support and swapping stories.  Thinking back on it, it had actually been fun – nothing like today, when it seemed that new mums like Sophie had a huge struggle to try and juggle work and family life.

So, when over dessert, Sophie and Robert finally got round to what they had to say, Rosie was in exactly the right frame of mind to listen.

“Mum, Dad,” Sophie began tentatively, “we were wondering if we could talk to you two about something.”

“What is it, pet?” Martin asked, adding more chocolate sauce to his low-fat ice-cream, and getting a stern look from Rosie for his troubles.

“Well, you know that Rob and I have been looking to buy our own house … oh, for ages now.”

“Oh, did you find something?” Rosie interjected, pleased.  It would be lovely to see the three of them properly settled.

Sophie gave a huge exaggerated sigh. “We found lots of places, Mum, but … it’s just,” she bit her lip in the same endearing way she’d done since she was a year old, “well, they’re all just so
expensive
!” She looked mournfully at her father.

“Well, of course they’re expensive, Sophie. When your mother and I got this place it was very expensive for us too.  We hadn’t much money, but we managed, didn’t we, Rosie?” he said, smiling at his wife.

“Actually,” Robert piped up, and gave a sideways glance at Sophie, “it’s not so much that the houses are expensive – interest rates are so low now that what we’re paying at the moment in rent would more than cover our mortgage repayments. The main problem we’re facing, Martin,” he added easily, “is the deposit.” 

Rosie knew by his expression that Martin was shocked – shocked because his son-in-law had never called him by his first name before, but also because neither of them had ever heard Robert say so much all at once.

Sophie nodded.  “The money they want for a deposit is crazy, Dad.  I mean, we’ve been saving for
years
, and still what we have wouldn’t go next nor near what we need.”

“So what are you saying – or should I say what are you asking?  Because you two are
asking
, aren’t you?”

“Well, we were wondering … well,
hoping
that you and Mum might consider releasing some of the equity on this house to give us a hand with the deposit.” Sophie smiled happily at her parents.

“Equity? What does that mean?” Rosie asked, looking at her husband for explanation. Being in business, Martin was well up in all these financial terms.

But Martin was stony-faced and instantly Rosie knew that whatever it was, he was not going to go along with it.  “It means that because our house is now worth a hell of a lot more than we paid for it –”

“And because you’ve already paid off
your
mortgage,” Sophie interjected in a faintly jealous tone.

“That we
supposedly
have this great big windfall that we can
supposedly
cash in.”

“But you do, Dad!  This house must be worth at least five or six times what you paid for it!”

That was true, Rosie thought.  The neighbours were always going on about how much their houses were worth now compared to when they bought them back in the seventies.  It seemed to be the main topic of conversation these days.

“So the banks will just give us money on the strength of what the house is worth – just like that?” she asked, the whole thing now beginning to make a lot of sense.  “And we can help the kids out with getting their house?  Oh, Martin, I think that’s a great idea!”

Sophie beamed, pleased that her mother was on side.  “Look, we wouldn’t ask, but everyone is doing it, and because everyone is doing it, then they all have a head start on us, and we’re getting desperate because of course we now have Claudia to think about and –”

“No,” Martin interjected solidly. 

“What?” Sophie and Rosie chorused.

“I’m sorry, but it’s not going to happen.  I know that it’s supposed to be difficult to get on the housing ladder these days, but Sophie, it’s
always
been difficult.  Do you think that myself and your mother just dipped into our back pockets to buy this house? We did not.  We scrimped and saved for the deposit beforehand, and then went without for years just to keep up with the mortgage repayments.”

“But Dad – ”

“Pet, I’m sorry but no.  You said yourself that interest rates are very low these days.  Well, they weren’t low in our day.  Yes, house prices are crazy now compared to back then, but the price of everything is crazy now compared to back then, and it’s all relative.  You just have to sacrifice what you have, to get something you want even more.  That’s the way life works.”

“But, Dad, didn’t you hear me? 
Everyone
is doing it!  All my friends’ parents are giving them a leg-up! Caroline and Nikki and – I can’t
believe
that you won’t do the same for me!  And with Claudia and everything …” she trailed off, the tears beginning to show.

“Martin, let’s not make any hasty decisions just yet,” Rosie said gently, the mention of Claudia piercing her heart.  “Let’s think about this some more.  It does sound like a good idea, especially if we have all this money –”

“But we
don’t
have all this money, Rosie, that’s the point.  It’s just moving figures from here to there. It’s more borrowing on the strength of what the house is worth.”

“Oh.” All of sudden Rosie felt silly.  Of course it wasn’t going to be
free
money, was it? 

“Obviously, we would pay you back,” Robert said matter-of-factly.  “Maybe we didn’t make it clear from the outset, but this would be nothing more than a temporary loan – just something to give us a head start rather than having to save for years, and seeing all the good places snapped up.”

“Robert, I’m sorry but that’s the way it goes.  Again, when we were younger and we wanted something, we had to save for it.  These days, it’s all credit this and credit that, and ‘I want it now’.  Instant gratification.  In a way, that’s why things are as crazy as they are now, and I’m sorry but I won’t do it.  After working hard enough all these years to pay off my own debts, I’m not about to go down that road again for someone else.”

“Not even for your own daughter or your
grand
daughter?” Sophie challenged tearfully.

“Now look here,” Martin began, and by his tone Rosie knew that this had really angered him, “over the years, your mother and I made a lot of sacrifices for you and David.   For the first few years, we didn’t have a car, let alone one each,” he added pointedly.

“But my car is an old banger, Dad – you know that!”

“Sophie, if a six-year-old car is an old banger, then I’ve been driving them for the last twenty-odd years.”

“But you know what I mean …”

“Pet, I know it’s hard for you to understand now, because you never wanted for anything when growing up – your mother and I made sure of that. But we made a lot of sacrifices for you and David.  We rarely had a holiday, and if I remember correctly, you’ve had
two
sun holidays already this year, haven’t you?  Don’t you think that the money would be better spent on saving for this supposedly impossible deposit?”

“But we
needed
those holidays, Dad! I don’t know if you understand how hard we work, and how tiring it is looking after a new baby.  We
had
to get away!”

“Maybe I understand more than you know, love,” Martin’s tone softened.  “Now, I’m sorry, but you also have to understand that your mother and I just aren’t in a position to get into more debt.  I know the house might be worth X amount but we still have to live too.”

“I suppose.” Sophie, it seemed, had finally given up, although the disappointment in her tone was breaking Rosie’s heart.

The kitchen was silent for a few minutes then, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

Then Robert spoke up.  “I can understand your reluctance to get into more debt, Martin, and I’m very sorry that we put you in that position.”

Martin nodded graciously. 

“But there is another way,” he continued, and Sophie looked at him with renewed hope, “a way that you wouldn’t need to get into any debt at all.” He sat forward as if the thought had just occurred to him.  “Apparently, parents can also guarantee a child’s mortgage, simply by letting the bank or building society hold onto your deeds.  So if we buy a house, they have both yours and our deeds to cover the loan should we default.  Which of course, would never happen,” he added quickly.  “But the important thing is, there would be no money involved, only assets.” He sat back then, sure that he had made a valid point.