Sharing a home with another isn’t easy
The infamous houseshare almost comes into its own as a rite of passage into adulthood, where two or three strangers are brought together through economics in response to the rising costs of living and market rental accommodation.
On reflection of this period in your journey through life, there will always be the apocryphal tale of the ‘housemate from hell’ and even worse so, when you are thrown out of the house by your boyfriend or girlfriend. My own take on this theme is my novel ‘Like a Shag on a Rock’ and for the protagonist Tom, being given the boot is the start of a house-sharing adventure that is wilder than he could have ever imagined.
When faced with a situation such as Tom’s, there is little chance to be fussy about where to rest your head at night. One-bedroom flats are not as ubiquitous as you would expect, especially in a town such as Oxford and even if you found one, the cost of leasing such a property is well out of reach for most people. Apart from handwritten adverts at the newsagents or the supermarket, the main port of call for people these days for finding accommodation is through the likes of Spareroom or Gumtree.
The other option available to people is to seek refuge with a friend as a temporary measure. As the old adage goes “fish and visitors smell after three days.” You can only rely on the charity of your peers as a temporary measure.
As serendipity would have it, our protagonist finds sanctuary with his ‘friend’, who wields far more influence over his private life than he is aware of. The truth still turns out to be stranger than fiction.
While I may not have personally lived to quite the intensity of my bound-bound alter ego, the antics shared prove that life certainly wasn’t boring. Although it may sound in part to be a cautionary tale about the joys and tribulations of the houseshare, those who have been there will be able to really relate with Tom and his attitude. Sharing a home with another isn’t easy, and it takes a fair bit of care-free spirit to make the arrangement work.
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