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The Cruise and a Happy Life Choice

Marian Wood

February 2024

Listening to Lucy drone on, she made it sound that I was entering into royalty.  I felt far from royalty.  Rich in-laws, but not royalty.   When I met Sam, I had led a normal ordinary life. I’m happy in my worn-out jeans and old comfortable well-worn trainers.   He had come into my life and changed things; my parents adored him.  I had been swept away with his money and promise of a happier life.  Am I happy? No, I don’t think I am.

Years ago, I met Tony.  Tony worked hard but he lived pay cheque to pay cheque.  However, he was also selfish, he focused on himself and had very little time for me any my problems.  Sam listened to me, made me feel special and showered me in fancy gifts. It was very easy to fall for him.  Many girls would love my life but honestly what you see on the outside is not what I feel on the inside.  I spend my nights alone as Sam is generally working and I’m no longer allowed to wear Primark and the other lazy clothes that I was happy in. I’m now part of his image, part of the rich. Do I really need my new Mercedes? I was happy with my clapped out Vitara.

Friends

My friends tell me to be grateful, none of them understand and now I’m being forced to go on a cruise. To me this is the stuff of nightmares.  I fear the Titanic all over again and the fact that I can’t get off is another worry. I don’t like being trapped and really do not want to go, Sam is not listening or helping with my fears. Packing my suitcase, I start listening to the little voice in my head.  That voice that we should never ignore, the gut feeling that things should be so different.

Happy

Yes, I could be rich, but I’m not happy and no one is making me go on this cruise.  My friends are jealous of something that they just can not understand.  Sitting on the bed I start googling.  I need to get away before life gets any worse.  A cruise with Sam and his posh family is really not for me.  Finding a nice-looking Air b n b in Torquay my gut says book it.  This was it I’m doing it.  I love the internet, makes life so much easier.  All information now stored on my phone.

I now reflect on my life. There’s more to life than this. Packing up what I could, I then picked up the £100 worth of notes on the side. I knew that Sam wouldn’t miss it.  Wrote a note explaining I had had enough and put the door key next to it and walked out.

Putting the clothes that I liked and suitcase in the car I told myself there is no going back.  I’m running, pushing the ignition button and entering the postcode into the Sat Nav, this was it, I’m really doing this.

Hours later I was driving along the M5 when my phone rang, Sam. Choosing to ignore it I put my foot down and kept going.

Life Choices

Sometimes in life, things happen, I believe there is a reason for all things.  When you rent a room in an Air B n b you do not know who you could be sharing with. I had initially booked just a week, but here was a major turning point in my life.  I had walked away from a cruise, was ignoring phone calls from an extremely rich man and was now stood in a kitchen with three men, complete strangers discussing what to have for dinner.  Talk of splitting a takeaway sounded normal and I appreciated the friendly company.  However these men could be anyone, they could be a gang, am I about to find myself buried alive in the garden?. Ignoring this fear, I pulled £20 out of my purse and said,

“That’s towards dinner”.

Sam might be rich, but really, I’m not. My plan is to find a job and settle for a while.  Geoff, tall dark hair and very good looking, handed me back the money and told me to relax, he was kind.  The two others looked at each other and said that they were paying.  I stood there and now emotions took over; I had been strong for long enough.

“I need to pay, why can’t I pay?” that was it, I broke down.   Geoff looked at me shocked.

“John, Peter can you leave us, I will sort this.”

“I don’t need sorting”

“I will make some tea and then you can talk, you need to talk”

Geoff

Here I am, sat in a Torquay air b n b with a stranger called Geoff telling him all about Sam and my life. Unlike my friends and Sam, he listened.  He then told me about himself.  He was a little bit older than me, a website designer, working mainly from home and he owned the Air b n b.  Geoff was not rich, not planning any cruises but happily doing okay.   I had rented the room for one week and he said we could talk then as to whether I want to stay longer,  he promised that coming to Torquay was a good move and Pizza would be good for dinner, he was paying.

February 2025

Torquay had been a definite crossroads in my life. I did speak with Sam about why I had left, and he had gone on the cruise with his family.  Unfortunately for him they had all got sick on board and had a terrible time.  I now haven’t spoken to him in months which  highlights I was right to leave.

I stayed at Geoff’s for two months in the end.  Time to find a job and a flat to rent.  Now working at the hospital, I am happy and have my life back.  I have my flat, my space and can buy the clothes that I want.  I still have the Mercedes, I’m not stupid, Sam was not having that back, but my life is my own and no need to worry about what others are thinking. My parents had not been pleased with me leaving Sam but after a few visits to Torquay they can see I’m happy.

Leaving had been a brave thing to do, but I’m so glad I did. Geoff is still a friend, and we talk often. For now, I am happy with that, happy to have a friend who I can talk to and who understands me. The future isn’t written yet, for now I’m happy as things are and that’s okay.

Please visit Marian on her website: https://justmuddlingthroughlife.co.uk

Images are free use—Image by yangguonin from Pixabay