Deni invited me over to their flat for the first time today.
They had not discussed much about their living arrangements. My total knowledge consisted of the abstract concept of a flat hidden deep on the far end of the city.
I had to take two buses, and the driver needed charging halfway. For most of the journey we flew over neat rows of housing with private gardens and swimming pools. If I stretched my money, and used up any savings for next year, I could afford a rental in one of the smaller properties. Deni could check in tomorrow.
Yet after forty minutes I disembarked near some squat blocks in the wheat fields. A few flowers grew around the doorframe of the correct building, and a layer of grass thatched the roof. But apart from that this was the sort of house they stopped building after the war.
I rang the buzzer, An old lady stared at me from an upstairs window. The door clicked open, and another lady hobbled past on two wooden canes. I grinned. She did not grin back. This gained me access to inside at least.
Deni told me their flat is on the ground floor. The corridor carpet was beige, and may even have had a plastic base. A wooden set of stairs lead up to flats unknown. I had to knock three times three times over before they open the door. The hinges made a squeak.
A silver face poked out.
‘It's Venus…..Venus is here….at the flat. Not at work…at the flat.’
Deni remained in the doorway long enough that I worried they were not going to let me in. Then they stepped back towards a living room, never looking behind them, keeping their eyes in line with mine.
I had to laugh.
Wingnuts covered a grubby coffee table. Clothes lay in piles in all the corners. Everything smelled oily, like where the buses go at the end of the shift. Socks hung from different fittings, none of which seemed to match. A picture frame was the sole decoration, but nothing sat behind the glass.
I loved it. A cosy corner of the world where everything is good. No-one is on fire here.
We spent most of the afternoon on the sofa. She is so cold, but in such a refreshing way.
The bathroom is spotless, and never used. I was able to wash my hair without bother this morning.
They have popped out for breakfast for me. Very kind. Now I am working full time, I enjoy days off so much more.
Clip: What a beautiful structure at the start. And the noise of voices! It is mind blowing to think they come from another dimension.