Last year a former friend of mine, a classmate, called me and asked me very much to host her best friends for a week at her place. The guys decided to rest by the sea in our village. Like a childhood friend uncomfortable to refuse, and so I had to agree.
Honestly, I do not understand such requests and respond frankly honestly:
– The season is in full swing, so I can’t post for free. And I don’t feel comfortable charging your comrades.
At these words my friend reacted adequately:
– Yes, they will pay, for nothing, or what all winter at the sea saved up. Not the money is the problem, but not to get to unscrupulous people.
Eh, I fell for it. If I knew what it would cost me this friendly vacation, no way I would have agreed.
A certain discomfort I felt, so I gave the mates a good discount. I gave them the room for about half the price. That’s what we agreed on. So it seems, and in front of a friend will not be embarrassed.
And now the day has come! It started with the fact that instead of the promised family with a boy of 10 years came with them my husband’s sister – a teenage girl. But never mind, they were our own people. True, they would not be so comfortable in a three-bed room!
The meeting was cordial. I tried to cook delicious meals, and after dinner I showed the sights of our resort town. Wishing all the best, I went about my usual business.
On the second day, the guests’ son fired a water pistol at the working TV. The couple was in the room, but that didn’t stop the prankster. The couple apologized, and promised to pay to repair the TV (still waiting). Handed over the new TV from the next room. – What were we supposed to do in the evening?
Then the friendly family burned the kettle. Sorry, teenage girl, ha ha, forgot to pour the water. – When is your birthday? That’s a gift for the anniversary! In the meantime we’ll take it out of the kitchen. We need to drink tea!
And after my dad started rearranging the room (it’s too small for them), two legs were broken – one from the nightstand and one from the table. – Hee-hee, you have a lot of this furniture! And now we’ll wrap duct tape on the leg of the table, and everything will be fine. And under the nightstand we’ll put a brick – no big deal.
The highlight was a very noisy party, which ended at two in the morning. With this drunken squealing and shouting all over the base. When at 11 o’clock I asked to turn down the loud music, in response I heard:
– We rest as we want for our money. – True, the sound was reduced, although after the second remark.
There was no point in clarifying relations with drunken people, and I decided to wait until tomorrow. The next day I spoke frankly with the couple that this behavior will lead to our further quarrel. They are not the only ones on vacation here. And asked them to be careful with the appliances.
The mate shrugged her shoulders unhappily:
– We paid the money.
– Say thank you for vacationing here in the status of a friend of a friend, otherwise your foot was no longer here!
After my words, the comrades began to behave more modestly, and the appliances stopped breaking. Only the friendship ended there.
As a result, we did not communicate for a week before our departure. This did not stop them from taking gifts and souvenirs, which I had prepared for them and a mutual friend. True, with them disappeared from the room two large bath towels and a Turkish terry sheet.
I would like to say that these are my childhood friend’s best friends. She and I were friends all through our high school years until she got married and moved to another city. And she described her friends as nice and well-mannered people. If it were really so, we could be family friends and vacation with us every summer at the sea.
It turned out the way it did. A friend was silent for a long time, but once she let it slip that they did not like the vacation:
– The hostess was constantly picking on us and spoiling the mood. And this despite the fact that we paid a lot of money!
I’m sorry, but for the money that was paid I can not buy a new TV, kettle, table, bedside table, terry cloth sheets and towels. Add to this my frayed nerves and dissatisfaction from other guests. And this, too, agree, affects the image and the next year, holidaymakers can just choose a new place.
But I have gained tremendous experience, and now I know for sure that sometimes it is better to just say no.
