– Hello, Emily! Sorry to bother you, Im your neighbour from flat 3B.
– Oh, Ill turn the music down a bit, – replied the young woman, drifting gently in a loose dressing gown and holding a glass of white wine that shimmered like a dream in her hand.
– Oh no, its quite alright. I just had a call about my husbands work, they want him to come urgently.
– Is something the matter with his health?
– They didnt say. Just said it was urgent. My mother lives miles away. Could you keep an eye on my son? Hes seven and a half technically old enough to be fine on his own but Id really worry myself sick. My nerves are already shot
– Of course, Ill get changed and pop down in a moment.
– He wont give you any bother either glued to his tablet or asking a hundred questions.
***
The young woman, now in a white t-shirt and faded jeans, sat at an old kitchen table, gently swirling tea in an oversized mug as she chattered into her mobile:
– That Julia Jones from accounts is a complete idiot. You can see the way she flirts with Peter Thompson, plain as day.
A boy wandered in, clutching a battered tablet that sang out with the voices of Jamie and Adam from MythBusters, mid-argument. His t-shirt declared: The Future Belongs to Robots! in bold, hopeful letters.
– Sorry, got to go! Doing a bit of charity work here, – the woman ended her call. – Hello, Im Auntie Emily. Do you want some tea?
– No, thank you. Im Henry. Mum told me about you. And youre quite pretty… Although my mum says that all pretty women end up miserable. Dad tells her that by her reckoning, shes either ugly or our marriage is a disaster.
– Youve got rather funny parents. Thanks for the pretty remark, anyway. As for being unhappy…
– Wheres your husband?
– Hmm, well, lets say popped out to the shops. About three years ago.
– Oh I see! He left you!
– Honestly, is there something stronger than tea in this place? These conversations do my head in
– Theres some wine in the fridge, I think.
– Thanks, but Id better stick to tea. I am a guest after all.
– Auntie Emily, you need a new husband.
– Henry, Ill wait until youre older, then Ill consider. And where do you find these men, anyway
– Who are you looking for? I saw a programme that said you need to imagine your ideal match clearly.
– Send me the link for that. Basically rich, handsome, kind-hearted. Someone to love me, look after me, give me everything I want
– Why would he need you, though?
– What do you mean why? Ill love him! Go to spas, do my nails
– But what use is that for him? If hes clever, he wants a partner, not I dont know, a cockroach in his flat.
– Where did you say the wine was? – Emily opened the fridge, found a bottle, poured away her tea and filled her mug with wine, dreamlike.
– I watched this thing about billionaire wives once. All of them end up as alcoholics, living in mansions, drinking themselves into silence.
– That, sweet Henry, is called loneliness. Care to drink with me? Kidding!
– Do you know who Im going to marry?
– I told you me!
– No, really.
– Who, then?
– Anna. We go to robotics club together. Shes cleverer than me. Once, at the big competition, our two bluetooth modules wouldnt connect. I started to panic our robot just went dead. Anna told me to calm down. She grabbed the modules, headed into the woods, I ran after her. Out there, with no interference, the modules saw each other right away. We plugged them back in, and won the competition. Shes my team! I know I can count on her! Theres so much to love about her!
Emily downed her mug in one gulp. Poured another.
– Oh, so Ive lost out to Anna! Youre saying I should look for a husband at work, eh?
– Strong people find their matches, you dont need to hunt for one like tomatoes at Sainsbury’s.
– Youre speaking nonsense, psychologist!
– Try becoming rich, beautiful, and kind yourself! Understand?
– And then why would I want anyone? Id go travelling, learn proper English, take up dancing, master the art of pasta!
– Whats stopping you now?
– I havent got a husband to pay for it all.
– Well then, you really are a cockroach. A parasite.
– Hey, dont call me names! I just want an ordinary womans happiness.
– Stop watching too many movies! Youll spend your whole life searching for a bloke who doesnt exist, instead of actually living!
– Shut up! What do you know! Go to your room, brainbox! Bedtime!
The boy slipped away. Emilys eyes burned with tears. She finished her wine. Her phone buzzed. She ignored it. The front door swung open on a strange breeze. In walked a couple, flushed and glowing with a tipsy joy.
– Emily, thank you ever so much for looking after him, – sang her neighbour, her voice a little off-kilter.
– No worries, I mightve sampled your wine
– Thats perfectly fine.
– I see your husbands alright?
– Oh, it was a trick! His mates got me todays the anniversary of our first kiss! I rushed to his office and there he was, lying on the floor with a note saying Im Sleeping Beauty. Kiss me! Then we bought some wine and went to the cinema, like students.
– Did you plan this? Anyway, I must dash!
– How did Henry behave? – his mother called as Emily slipped through the door.
– Terribly. Just dreadfully. May I babysit him again soon he needs a bit of educationShe stepped out onto the dimly lit landing, the sounds of laughter closing behind her like the soft click of a music box lid. The hallway was silent, but for the faint hum of late-evening traffic. Emily paused, one hand on her door, and for a moment let her forehead rest against its reassuring coolness.
From below, Henrys voice called up in a rush:
– Goodnight, Auntie Emily! Thank you for listening!
She turned, blinked away the sting in her eyes, and managed a wavering grin into the darkness.
– Goodnight, Professor! Go change the world!
Her phone buzzed againthis time with a message from an old friend, just three words: You still awake?
She read it. Smiled. And, surprising herself, replied:
Yes. Want to talk?
Inside her flat, the half-finished mug of wine glimmered on the counter, untempting now. The world felt softer, less empty. She glanced at her sorry reflection in the hallway mirror, tucked a loose strand behind her ear, and in that momentjust brieflyshe saw herself not hopeless, not a cockroach, but strong enough.
People found their own way, she supposed, but tonight shed found a little kindnessa little laughterin the apartment next door. Somewhere on the floor below, a boy was explaining to his parents how the world really worked, and for once, Emily didnt mind the sound drifting up.
She opened her door, stepped inside, and left it just a crack openjust in case anything wonderful wanted to find its way in.
