“Show me more pictures of the view,” Pálma begged her former colleague.
Flóra proudly scrolled through the photos on her phone.
“This is the back terrace. From here, you can see the mountains, and from the front, of course, the ocean.”
“My God! It’s gorgeous!”
“Thank you,” Flóra smiled shyly.
“And you built all this on your own, unbelievable!”
“I’ve put a lot of work into it, that’s for sure.”
“I remember how worried we all were when you set out into the unknown with two kids.”
“I know, not many believed I could pull it off.”
“That’s true. I’ll admit, no matter how resourceful you are, I thought you’d be back home within a year.”
“It was a risky venture, no doubt. I didn’t even speak the language. I only knew a bit of English. Oh my God,” Flóra laughed as the memories hit her, “if any of you had seen me with a dictionary in hand trying to explain things in various offices!”
“And you did it,” Pálma nodded in admiration.
“I did,” Flóra’s voice softened with emotion. “There were some really tough moments, but it was worth it. Every drop of sweat and every tear was totally worth it. I started as a dishwasher, and now I’m making my living as an entrepreneur.”
“And it seems you’re doing pretty well.”
“I can’t complain,” Flóra smiled mysteriously.
“How did the kids handle it?”
“Perfectly. It was such a relief that they supported me in everything. They never cried about wanting to go back home. They adjusted to the new situation without a word, as if they sensed they needed to help. My darlings,” Flóra’s eyes filled with tears.
“How many times do you visit home in a year?”
“Twice. In the summer and at Christmas, but just for a few days.”
“Then I’m lucky we bumped into each other.”
“Now tell me about you! How’s life here? Your kids must be grown by now, right?”
“Yes, they’re in university. Both are studying abroad. One here, the other there,” Pálma laughed, “just to keep life simple.”
“I remember you and your husband got along very well.”
“We still do, thank God! We’ve always been able to support each other.”
“That kind of partner is a real treasure; you’re lucky.”
“I know. That’s why we’re finally taking the plunge ourselves.”
“Oh?” Flóra’s eyes lit up. “Into what? A new business?”
“No, no! Business is still going great.” Pálma straightened up without even realizing it.
“We’re moving too! We’ll be neighbors,” she exclaimed excitedly. “We’ve already picked out the house we want to buy.”
“You must be joking,” Flóra asked with a tense smile.
“No, no,” Pálma giggled, grabbing her former colleague’s wrist in excitement. “Ever since you left, I have thought so many times that we should follow your example. But you know, I just didn’t have the courage, especially after everything you said earlier.”
“You do realize that moving to another country isn’t that simple, right?”
“You did it.”
“Times were different back then,” Flóra’s tension grew.
“Exactly! You were running around with a dictionary, and now you can download a translation app on your phone.”
“Don’t think an app will solve everything for you!”
“No, but it’s a huge help.”
“That’s one thing,” Flóra snapped. “But how will you know which office to go to for which matter? Or how to book an appointment?”
“You’ll tell me,” Pálma laughed, raising an eyebrow. She didn’t understand what had gotten into her former colleague.
“It doesn’t work like that,” Flóra’s hands trembled. “And what are you even planning to do there?”
“Nothing! We already have jobs that only require a laptop and internet. We just talked about how business is still thriving.”
“And you haven’t thought about your kids?”
“I told you, they’re studying abroad…”
Pálma watched the emotions flicker across Flóra’s face in confusion.
“I don’t understand why you’d give up your comfortable life here.”
“Because we’re craving adventure!”
“Adventure? Do you think starting everything from scratch is an adventure?”
“Yes! And we don’t even have financial constraints. We’ll buy a house, do our work, and enjoy the gorgeous view. What more could we want?”
“Why don’t you move to where your kids are studying?”
“I already told you, they’re in two different countries. It wouldn’t be fair to choose one over the other. But I don’t get it, Flóra. What’s going on?”
“Nothing, it’s just that there are already enough of us there. We don’t need more migrants moving in!”
“And you? You were once a migrant too…”
“That’s different!”