Mariah had been feeling poorly recently, so she went to the hospital for a checkup. However, while she was away, her children decided to rent out her home as an Airbnb, intending to collect the money. When Mariah found out, she decided to teach her children a lesson. “Mariah,” my friend Liz questioned over the phone, “why on earth is your house listed as an Airbnb?” “What?” I inquired, totally bewildered. “What are you talking about?”
“Denise was looking for a property to rent for the weekend because it was her bachelorette weekend, and she found yours. “Aren’t you still in the hospital?” she said. “Liz, I truly have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, staring at the IV that was oozing into my bloodstream. “Send me the link to the site Denise saw.”Here’s how I taught my kids a valuable lesson:Recently, my blood pressure had been fluctuating, causing me to faint at unexpected periods.
“Mom,” my son Liam said, “you should have it checked out.” There’s no point in going to the pharmacy and buying medication over the counter just because you think it will help. You should have everything thoroughly evaluated.””And you need to start eating better,” my daughter, Leah, said. “Eating oatmeal in the morning, toast in the afternoon, and soup at night does not constitute a balanced diet.” You’re experimenting with your health.”
“It is time to get serious.”Leah went around my kitchen slicing vegetables for a salad to go with the marinated grilled chicken she had prepared. “And what about your frequent headaches? It’s time to check everything out. “You should go to the hospital and get a full checkup,” Liam told him. “But I feel fine, other than the headaches and dizziness; I’m good!” I responded.
My two children snorted and rolled their eyes at me. “Do it, Mom,” she said, gesturing to me. I had to agree with them. I’d been downplaying my health lately. I still walked every other day and did as much yoga as my body allowed during the week. Still, there was a nagging feeling that something was wrong. “Just go to silence that feeling,” Liz said when we met for smoothies after our yoga class one day. ”
But what if we find something?” I inquired, afraid to speak my thoughts out. “Then we can manage it jointly. “I know Paul isn’t here anymore, but I am,” Liz explained. “Anyway, we need you available for Denise’s wedding. I’m not sure how to do the mother-of-the-bride things. “I’ll go to the GP and take it from there,” I told him. “If he thinks that it’s the way to go, then I’ll do just that.”
“Yes, Mariah,” the doctor replied. “I think you should have a full-body checkup. There’s nothing wrong with merely understanding your health and physique.I’ll also propose a CT scan to treat your headaches. This is how I wound up in the hospital, and my children took advantage of the circumstances. “I’ll bring your lunch soon,” the nurse said, smiling at me. “You just rest after your CT scan.”
“Thank you,” I responded. “I’m just going to call my best friend and catch up with her.” Catching up with Liz revealed that my children had rented out my house as an Airbnb for the week I was scheduled to be in the hospital. “So, what are you going to do about it?” Liz inquired when I contacted her again after confirming my residence on the site. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “However, I plan to teach them a lesson.
Leah and Liam should have known better. However, Leah and her husband are always looking for new ways to boost their income. I’m sure Andrew has a gambling problem, too.” “Tell me what you want me to do,” Liz said softly, nibbling something in my ear. “I want you to tell Denise to book it,” I explained. “But they’ll recognize her, so she’ll probably have to create a new account.” “Do you think she will be okay with that?”
“Of course, she will!” Liz said. “Anything for you. But then what?” “I’m getting discharged tomorrow,” I said. “However, the kids assume I’ll be here till the end of the week. So, make people believe that they would gain money from the location.””You want Denise to rent the place, but you want to mess it up?” Liz chuckled. “That’s devious.” “No, my children are devious,” I corrected them. I hung up the phone, and the nurse delivered my lunch, eager to leave me alone to eat while she completed her rounds.
To be honest, I’m unsure how I felt about my children’s treachery. But it grieved me to think that while I was in the hospital, my children were perfectly fine with strangers taking over my home. “What were they thinking?” I questioned myself. They hadn’t given a second thought to others drinking from the hand-painted cups I’d made or sitting in their father’s old recliner. Although Paul had been dead for some years, the chair nevertheless seemed familiar. “No,” I said to myself. “I’m going to get back at these kids.”
Despite my concerns about keeping my stress under control, I was discharged the next morning with a clean bill of health. “And keep an eye on your cholesterol, Mariah,” my doctor said. “Eat lots of green leafy vegetables.” I drove myself to Liz’s residence, where I intended to wait for Denise to arrive with my house keys. “Are you sure about this?” Liz asked, making me a cup of tea and buttering a lemon and poppy seed muffin. “Yes,” I said. “And this way, they’ll truly have to feel accountable for their actions.” I went home a few hours later. There was something special about the house.
The smell was different, and I was confident that someone else had been living there. A nice perfume aroma filled my generally woody-scented room. I took a long shower, hoping to get rid of the hospital fragrance on my skin. I was prepared for a long nap in my own bed. For tomorrow, the fun starts. The next morning, I made myself breakfast and took the vitamins and supplements that the doctor had prescribed. Then I began packing up all of my appliances. “Where are you going to put everything?” Liz asked me when she was coming over.
“I’m going to put some into the trunk of my car, and we can hide the rest in the garage for now,” I told him. Liz and I cleaned out the house, leaving only the old toaster. “Come on,” Liz said, hooking her arm with my. “Let’s get you out of here.” I waited until Friday and stayed with Liz. Then I drove myself home that afternoon. “Hi Mom!” Leah said eagerly as she saw me pull into the driveway. “Hi, honey,” I said, removing my suitcase from the backseat. We came into the house, and there were all new appliances in my kitchen.
“What’s all this?” I inquired, appearing surprised. “Liam and I thought that you deserved new things!” Leah spoke while looking at the floor. “No, you didn’t,” I answered. “You came back to my home when your guest was supposed to check out and you found everything gone.”Leah looked at me, jaw open. “You know?” she asked. “Of course, I do!” I exclaimed. “I took everything!” You have to learn a lesson. “Why would you let my house out?” Leah blinks slowly. “Mom,” she said softly. “I am deeply sorry.
Andrew and I thought it was a fantastic idea because it sounded like a great opportunity to make some extra cash. Liam said that was fine as long as nothing was broken. “Darling,” I hugged her. “You can’t do this. If you or Andrew require financial assistance, please contact me. Don’t do anything like this. “It will destroy our trust.”
My daughter smiled as she took my luggage from me. “Come,” she said. “I’ll make you some tea with the new kettle. “I’ll return everything else tomorrow.”And the money is all yours.” What would you have done?