Holiday.
My three children are all on holiday together - they have rented a villa in aizibI* with a few friends and boyfriend. (No longer plural as my older daughter doesn't have one, for the first time since she was sixteen). Although her longest running old boyfriend is with them as he became like an older brother to my son and they automatically share rooms when away. (Don't even flicker - it is NOT like that). We all know that he is still waiting for her to come to her senses and realise that he is 'the one', but we never speak of it. As an only child myself I get ridiculous pleasure from a holiday situation like this and dreamily re-live my own past as if it had happened to me.

I know in reality they are probably arguing and sulking and annoying each other but just the fact of them going away together from choice is soooo sweet. I think there is some subconcious clinging going on as this is really the final end of childhood with my son leaving for college in a few weeks and my older daughter seriously thinking of moving out. She has that twenties dream of a huge loft space where she can 'express herself' and not have to fight her sister for the bathroom.

In the past Ib1z1a was like a second home to many of my hippy friends but for some reason I have never been there and spent all Spanish holidays driving up and down the mainland. That was when it was full of people lying on the sand druggily near picturesque fishing villages, rather like Thail..d now and I always felt that I had missed out. Which is nothing to how much I longed to go later on when the clubb1ng scene took off but by then I had small children and a resistant husband. The M@num1ss10n CD is practically worn out.

'Look, you are partly living this holiday for me', I told my middle daughter. 'One. You are spending at least twelve hours at the full m00n beach fest1val of the drums. Two. You are going to a massive club where they squirt you with foam - and I want pictures'.

'Riiiight. One. The beach fest1val of the drums was last week. Two. No'.

'What do you mean, 'No'? This is the club epicentre of the world. Come ahnn ... how often do you have the chance to spend the evening covered in foam and you know about the specialised entertainment at Man.....ion. You HAVE to.'

'Do you have any idea what these places cost? I think it may be fifty pounds each and then a tenner for every drink. Anyway it is all so old now and I specially booked the villa miles away at the north end of the island because it is quieter'.

'I don't care about the money. I will pay - for all of you - just GO, please. I really don't understand your attitude ... were you swapped at birth?'

'MUMMY. We are having the kind of holiday that WE want. Pottering around, going to the beach, making barbecues .... If you want the clubbing and the all-night drumming parties then you can go next year with your own friends.'




- posted by Iris @ 9/08/2004 10:40:00 AM comment