This was the conversation on the way to school today.
Olivia: “Mummy, I don’t want to tell you this but I have to tell you something.”
I assumed Bea had eaten my lip gloss or Leo had been wearing my bras. But it was worse.
“We want to go home to France.”
“Why?” I asked.
“We miss everything.”
“Yes,” Bea chipped in. “This was supposed to be an adventure, but it’s just been terrible.”
I was at a loss for words. And depressed. Fact is there i no going back, not in this economic climate. I listed all the things that are good about life here; the beach, the yoga (they started yoga yesterday), school finishing at 1.30, all the help at home, the malls.
“Won’t you miss all that if we go back?” I asked.
“Wherever we go, we will miss things from the place we have just left,” said Olivia in her most grown-up and patient manner.
She is right of course. So we will be miserable wherever we go….there’s a cheery thought.
Copyright: Helena Frith Powell 2008
Such is the colonial service.
Tell them stories about how their grandparents were sent “home” to boarding school at eight, spent their holidays at school or with horrible strangers, and did not see their parents for years. That might put things into perspective.
Ha! No joke. AB.
And you still ended up being lovely. Somehow I can’t imagine sending little Leo away at any age, although I think Olivia would quite like boarding school, she would be running the place in no time.
Hx
I can see them now, under the sheets with a torch, whispering and hatching a dastardly plot to escape the land of never ending sand and voting for Olivia to be spokeswoman. All very Famous Five or maybe Just William’s Black Hand Gang. Don’t ever believe that little children have short memories. Mine are 30 and 31 and they still remind me of the terrible sufferings they had to
experience on family holidays.
Poor babies! This was such a big change and its hard for them to understand the economics involved. Wish there was an easy way to ease their adjustment.
Bless them, aren’t they lovely; innocent and yet wise!
Looks like a brilliant life to me, it’s cold and wet in Dublin if that helps them. mimi
“This was supposed to be an adventure, but it’s just been terrible.” what your child said makes me think of an issue that always bothers me.. i hate foreigners like am talking about grown ups here who lives in the uae and always critisize things around the country. no offense to you in particular but most of the people who lives here and keeps on critique-ing lots of issues in the UAE well its not your country and your living, working , having a good life here so you better shut the hell up or pack and go to ur own country!
thats just frustrating me x_X
Hi xOx – you probably don’t understand how much my children complain and how little it means. They are much happier today you’ll be pleased to hear and will probably spend the two weeks we are going to be in France grumbling about the weather. I think they are settling in well, I certainly am, and am very happy to be here. Of course there are downsides but there are everywhere.
Hx