Wife Swap Special Edition

Chapter 8: The 'Mum'

Scared of him possibly mugging me I opened my eyes.

Forgetting everything else I gawped at the enchanting house before me, if you could call it that. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. It's stunningly beautiful and absolutely indescribable. So welcoming. Yet it looks very expensive and homely at the same time.

"This is where they live? Where I'm going to be living?" my voice came out kind of hoarse.

"Uh huh. The inside only gets better." the voice said, I managed to tear my eyes off of the building and turned towards the source. A camera man.

With that I stepped towards the house and went up the porch steps and opened the door. The driver would bring my bags.

The interior was simply sublime. Everything seemed to compliment each other. Even the grand piano and the stereo in the main room.

It was very open plan. Probably so that Esme could keep an eye on everyone, with so many of them they had to get up to a lot of mischief. The Piano surprised me though. Who would play it or rather how long would they expect to keep the piano in one piece? Someone must use it since the leather seat, whilst new, looks like it gets used. How would they even be able to hear the piano over the loud, heavy, influencing music the teenagers blast throughout the house on that stereo?

As I walked around I saw a leather binder with a family crest on the front.

I assume that's my manual then.

I'll come back and look at it a bit later, once I've explored the upstairs a bit.

Upon going up the stairs I saw what must be a artistic recreation of dozens, of what appeared to be, graduation caps hung on the wall. A large, heavy looking, wooden cross hung on the corridor of the second floor.

"Surprisingly tidy for so many children, though I suppose they were ordered to clean the house. I doubt they cleaned their rooms properly though." I said into the camera.

As I walked throughout the house I by-passed a total of twelve bedrooms. The house has eighteen occupants so the children must share. But I didn't see bunk-beds anywhere during my fleeting exploration.

"Obviously they can't afford to buy all the children their own beds as they must share beds." I raised my eye brows at the camera and pinched my lips to convey I'm not impressed.

I then went back into each bedroom I passed individually. They all had at least another two doors leading somewhere else and another door leading outside onto a balcony. I opened one of the two doors, inside was a large bathroom, fit for a King and Queen. I hurried back out and entered the other door. It was a closet.

As I stepped further into the closet the lights came on automatically, it was massive. Probably as big, if not bigger than the entire bathroom and bedroom itself. Walking further into the walk-in-closet with the camera man in tow I looked around a bit, not touching obviously, that would be rude. When suddenly I saw some male shoes on one of the many, many racks.