Village Life: Encounter with our new neighbours

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We are moving to the countryside in November.

 Our current house is sold and the new one is being built.

 The public opening of the development's showhome was last weekend so I went to have a peak on Sunday morning.

 I met an elderly couple there and we got chatting. They were just having a peak themselves. They live a few roads away and wanted to see what was going on in their village. They have lived there their whole life, have seen the village expand and change in front of their eyes.

 They explained me where they lived (I knew exactly which house they were talking about. It was the bungalow with the massive "Leave" sign during the EU referendum campaign). 

 It made me feel so uncomfortable all of a sudden...

 You see, I am French. I worry about how people feel about having a foreigner as a neighbour. I have never felt this way before, but I do now, since Brexit...


They asked me where I was from. I explained them that we only lived a few miles away. This was not what they wanted to hear. They wanted to know where I was from originally. So I told them that I was originally from France.

 It made me feel even worse... Why do people always have to ask you this question when you live abroad? 

 I then felt compelled to add that my husband was British (as if to prove that I had the right to be here).

 After complimenting me on my English, they asked me if my son (who was with me that morning) was attending the village's school. I answered positively. To that, they replied that I was lucky. Too many kids in the village could not get a place there and had to attend schools in the nearby villages. 

 At that point, all I wanted to do was run away... Were they stating my son was taking someone else's space?

 I just said goodbye (saying  that I had an appointment - I lied), grabbed my son's hand, turned around and walked towards the showhome, completely deflated...

 I do not know what to think about this encounter. Am I overthink this? I tend to be a little bit paranoid at times. 

 They were probably just making general conversation... I hope so anyway...

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