FAMILY BLISS: Terenia’s son has helped her discover more of Mallorca

SO my son arrived and is now staying until September. We miss our kids when we’re not with them, but it doesn’t take long for us all to slip back into our old ways.

This means me generally in the kitchen constantly cooking and clearing-up, with him in his room after already becoming bored of hanging out with us.

He decided to stay in Mallorca because he doesn’t start back at Uni until late September and was planning on leaving his part-time job at Screwfix in Harrogate and I suggested, ‘why not stay here for the summer’?

I have felt quite sorry for him in the UK and drank a cup of guilt every morning as a mum (because that’s what us mums do) as he lives on his own in Harrogate.

He’s just finished his first year of a business degree and whilst I’m glad he committed to something, I was sad he didn’t move to Mallorca with us.

I’ve been really proud of him throughout the pandemic because before my son used to have all kinds of health anxieties. When Ebola came on the scene he was convinced he’d got it. If he had a headache he’d truly believe it was a brain tumour and he’s the only person I know who got COVID  toe!

When the news was gearing up about COVID in the UK, my main concern was how Anton would deal with it. I have to admit we did get on a plane just before the UK went into lockdown because, one, I didn’t want him to be on his own and, two, was worried how he’d cope with the on-coming crisis.

But he surprised me in the sense that when there was an actual real threat he just got on with things. He carried on doing his job and uni work online and, despite not being able to see his friends, family or go out much, he demonstrated stoicism quite unusual for someone so young.

So when he arrived I really wanted to make sure he had a great time. In the first 10 days Anton was here I have spent a small fortune eating out, have put on about a kilo and done the rounds of three supermarkets in one day!

But it’s been fun for us too, because instead of our usual routine, which consists of being busy all week, just don’t ask what we have been doing!

We have done new stuff, like going to Ibiza on a boat, actually taking a proper look around the cathedral and I even discovered that Mallorca has an English book shop after I went for a mooch around Palma. 

Anton has been our only visitor to Mallorca so far because of all the restrictions and it was interesting listening to old-timers here who warn you of their own experiences of house guests previously descending on them.

Overstaying their welcome by expecting to be waited on, the constant late-night drinking sessions despite you having to work the next morning, whilst they obliviously enjoy their free holipops (holiday).

We’re also expecting Paul’s (my partner’s) two boys in August and my parents in September. But since Mallorca went back on the Amber list at the time of writing this, which may well change by the time it’s actually published, I hope they can all still get out here.

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