When Maria decided to throw a surprise party for her husband’s 40th birthday, she never imagined she’d end up meeting strangers. What started out as a carefully planned celebration quickly turned into a comical adventure – all because of an unexpected Airbnb booking!
Maria had thought of everything in detail. She told her husband, Andrew, that she was travelling to another city on business and wouldn’t be able to be home for his birthday, so he thought the party would be later. The evening before, she even pretended to go to the airport, and quietly stayed at her friend Oli’s house to start preparing everything in the morning.
From early morning Maria was already on her feet, checking her plan one last time. She had invited family and friends over by 5pm so that by 6pm – when Andrew usually returned – everything would be ready. By 4:45 p.m., the house began to fill with guests. The living room sparkled with blue and gold ribbons, balloons and a huge banner that read, ‘Happy Birthday, Andrew!’
When the excitement was at its peak, Maria gathered everyone in the kitchen.
Okay, everybody hide! – she whispered, trying to keep a cheerful attitude.
The guests laughed, but immediately scattered around the kitchen, holding their breath, ready to jump out with a cry of ‘Surprise!’ at any moment.
There was a creak of the front door. Everyone froze, expecting that Andrew was about to appear.
But instead of him, a young couple entered the house, looking no less confused than everyone hiding in the kitchen.
Maria stepped forward in confusion.
Excuse me, who are you? – She asked, puzzled.
The man gave her a surprised look and replied:
We rented this house through Airbnb. We’re supposed to stay here for a couple of days.
Maria opened her mouth in amazement. Her husband, thinking she was gone, had rented their house through Airbnb to make a little extra money! The guests stood in complete silence, not knowing whether to laugh or be surprised.
But Mariah didn’t let the confusion ruin the evening. She quickly pulled herself together, smiled and said:
Well, since you are already here – welcome to the party!
The guests, whose names were Ilya and Anya, looked at each other and laughed.
Why not? We love parties! – Ilya said.
When Andrei finally came in, expecting an empty house, he froze in the doorway: a room full of people, with two strangers in the centre. His cheeks flared.
Um… what’s going on here?
Maria couldn’t contain her laughter:
Andrei, meet Ilya and Anya, our Airbnb ‘guests’. Can you explain?
Andrei laughed, slightly embarrassed:
I… just wanted to save up for a holiday….
The guests burst into laughter, the tension immediately disappeared, and the atmosphere became even warmer. Ilya and Anya quickly joined the company, and soon everyone was laughing, chatting and having fun like old friends.
In spite of the unexpected turn, the holiday was a success. The young couple turned out to be excellent conversationalists and added a special charm to the holiday. Glasses were raised, toasts were made – to the surprises that life prepares, and how great it is to be able to laugh at the unexpected.
By the end of the evening, no one wanted to leave. The accidental mix-up had made the day unforgettable, turning it into a favourite family story that would be told again and again.
And about the holiday… Maria and Andrei knew for sure that it would not be boring – thanks to their cheerful meeting with uninvited, but very warm-hearted guests.
