which was the size of a broom cupboard with a tiny window high on the wall, too high to see out of, but the other two were spacious. The fourth room
on the top floor was a good size too, with a sloping ceiling on one side. The kitchen and bathroom had modern units but, like the rest of the house, they looked like they needed a good clean.
Dylan’s mood didn’t improve when he saw that, like the front garden, the back was overgrown with weeds.
He came back into the hall, sat heavily on the bottom stair and he looked totally miserable. ‘I think I’d like to stay with Aunt Sarah,’ he said.
‘Not an option,’ said Dad, and he stepped up behind Dylan and sat on the stair just above him.‘We’re a family and we stay together. Come on, everyone, sit. Family
conference.’
Mum sat next to Dylan and put her arm around him and I went up to sit on the stair behind Dad.
‘I know it’s not what we’ve been used to,’ said Dad. ‘We’ve been very privileged to have lived in some of the most glorious locations in the world and then of
course Sarah’s house is wonderful, but things have changed and it’s either adapt or . . . well, that’s it really, no options. We have to adapt. Make the most of it. Sink or swim.
We swim.’
‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, yeah right, Dad,’ said Dylan in his most gloomy voice.
‘This isn’t the first place we’ve looked at you know,’ said Mum.‘While you two have been at school, we’ve been to see over forty houses —’
‘Then a colleague of mine in the orchestra told me about this place. I know it doesn’t look much now. His last tenants, students I think, left it in a right state, which is why he
was so eager for it to go to people like us who will look after it. The big plus is that the rent is very low, and that will allow us to save so that in time we can buy our own place.’
‘And also,’ Mum joined in,‘he said we can do what we like – paint, decorate, put up pictures. Now that is something that a lot of landlords don’t allow but we have
a free rein here.’
Dad stood up. ‘Yes. I like a challenge and, scruffy house, YOU ARE A CHALLENGE. We will make you beautiful. Stylish. People will be amazed . You have been neglected but no longer.
The Ruspolis are here. It is your time in the limelight.’
‘Er, Dad, you’re talking to a house,’ I said.
‘And why not? It’s a nice house. It has potential. It needs some TLC that’s all and we’re just the people to give it. Come on, we’re creative people. What do you
think, India Jane?’
I shrugged a shoulder. ‘Which room do you want Dylan?You can have first pick,’ I said.
Dylan copied me and shrugged a shoulder, like he didn’t care.
‘How about Dad and I take the front room?’ said Mum. ‘Dylan, you have the big one at the back; the tiny one will do for when Lewis stays over, so how about the top room for
you, India Jane. How does that sound?’
‘Whatever,’ said Dylan. He wasn’t playing along at all.
‘Are you happy with that arrangement, India Jane?’ asked Dad.
I nodded.
‘Why don’t you have a think about how you might like your room decorated?’ Mum asked.
‘Um, I’ll go and have another look,’ I said. Although I felt the same way as Dylan, I didn’t want to let on to Mum and Dad. I knew it was an upheaval for them too,
because last night, they had left their bedroom door slightly open and I’d seen them standing with their arms around each other looking sad, and then Dad had said something about letting us
down and Mum had given him a big hug. They hadn’t seen me and I’d crept away before they did.
‘And Dylan, let me know if you have any ideas,’ said Mum.
‘Burn the place down?’ he replied.
I couldn’t help but laugh. My sentiments exactly, but I liked what Dad had said: we could maybe do something with the house and, anyway, we had no choice. We had to make it work. Sink
or swim, win or lose, live or die and all that ,
on the top floor was a good size too, with a sloping ceiling on one side. The kitchen and bathroom had modern units but, like the rest of the house, they looked like they needed a good clean.
Dylan’s mood didn’t improve when he saw that, like the front garden, the back was overgrown with weeds.
He came back into the hall, sat heavily on the bottom stair and he looked totally miserable. ‘I think I’d like to stay with Aunt Sarah,’ he said.
‘Not an option,’ said Dad, and he stepped up behind Dylan and sat on the stair just above him.‘We’re a family and we stay together. Come on, everyone, sit. Family
conference.’
Mum sat next to Dylan and put her arm around him and I went up to sit on the stair behind Dad.
‘I know it’s not what we’ve been used to,’ said Dad. ‘We’ve been very privileged to have lived in some of the most glorious locations in the world and then of
course Sarah’s house is wonderful, but things have changed and it’s either adapt or . . . well, that’s it really, no options. We have to adapt. Make the most of it. Sink or swim.
We swim.’
‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, yeah right, Dad,’ said Dylan in his most gloomy voice.
‘This isn’t the first place we’ve looked at you know,’ said Mum.‘While you two have been at school, we’ve been to see over forty houses —’
‘Then a colleague of mine in the orchestra told me about this place. I know it doesn’t look much now. His last tenants, students I think, left it in a right state, which is why he
was so eager for it to go to people like us who will look after it. The big plus is that the rent is very low, and that will allow us to save so that in time we can buy our own place.’
‘And also,’ Mum joined in,‘he said we can do what we like – paint, decorate, put up pictures. Now that is something that a lot of landlords don’t allow but we have
a free rein here.’
Dad stood up. ‘Yes. I like a challenge and, scruffy house, YOU ARE A CHALLENGE. We will make you beautiful. Stylish. People will be amazed . You have been neglected but no longer.
The Ruspolis are here. It is your time in the limelight.’
‘Er, Dad, you’re talking to a house,’ I said.
‘And why not? It’s a nice house. It has potential. It needs some TLC that’s all and we’re just the people to give it. Come on, we’re creative people. What do you
think, India Jane?’
I shrugged a shoulder. ‘Which room do you want Dylan?You can have first pick,’ I said.
Dylan copied me and shrugged a shoulder, like he didn’t care.
‘How about Dad and I take the front room?’ said Mum. ‘Dylan, you have the big one at the back; the tiny one will do for when Lewis stays over, so how about the top room for
you, India Jane. How does that sound?’
‘Whatever,’ said Dylan. He wasn’t playing along at all.
‘Are you happy with that arrangement, India Jane?’ asked Dad.
I nodded.
‘Why don’t you have a think about how you might like your room decorated?’ Mum asked.
‘Um, I’ll go and have another look,’ I said. Although I felt the same way as Dylan, I didn’t want to let on to Mum and Dad. I knew it was an upheaval for them too,
because last night, they had left their bedroom door slightly open and I’d seen them standing with their arms around each other looking sad, and then Dad had said something about letting us
down and Mum had given him a big hug. They hadn’t seen me and I’d crept away before they did.
‘And Dylan, let me know if you have any ideas,’ said Mum.
‘Burn the place down?’ he replied.
I couldn’t help but laugh. My sentiments exactly, but I liked what Dad had said: we could maybe do something with the house and, anyway, we had no choice. We had to make it work. Sink
or swim, win or lose, live or die and all that ,
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