10

"Emma!" Her mother called from the kitchen. "Have you heard from your sister yet?"

Emma came out of her room towards her mother who was in the kitchen.

"I am going to see her later this weekend," Emma replied, picking up chips in the fridge and going to sit in the dinning area.

"Alright."

Maria turned towards her and walked to the dinning. She noticed a package on the table and the inscription on it was from daisy's. It was the shoe Eric got her.

"Where did you get that?" Maria asked, moving towards where the shoe was.

"What?"

"This," Maria said picking the shoe up. "These are from daisy's right?

"Yes."

She dropped it then looked towards Emma.

"You can't possibly be spending this much on shoes now. You know how many bills there are to pay!"

"I didn't spend anything mum."

"Everyone knows these are the most expensive shoes in the city. You know we can't afford that," Maria said with a straight face.

Emma stood to pick up the shoes. "It was a gift."

"From a friend," Emma added.

Maria sat on the chair "you know how things are. I didn't mean to be intrusive."

Emma sat opposite to her. Maria had her hands on the table over her face. Her face was drained from all the work she had been doing and she was visibly exhausted.

"You used to be so fun, what happened?"Emma asked as she looked at her mum who had a blank expression on her face.

Maria's hair had lost its shine and the long black hair was just loosely tied in a dirty bun. She didn't have time for a lot of things.

She would wake up  every morning by 5 and would be back very late from work. Emma only spoke to her on some days when they ate breakfast together or on read occasions when she had no shift.

"Dad passed away and every thing changed, you no longer do the things you love to do. We don't talk anymore and you use work as a means of escape from everything."

"You don't know what you're saying. There are a lot of bills to be paid. If I don't, who will."

"Mother, you talk about bills, bills, bills. We both know that's not it. You work so many extra shifts at the hospital even on days they ain't needed."

"We can afford the bills with our current income. I help too, remember."

"You can't keep escaping with work and shutting I and Helen out. We are your daughters and we need you, especially Helen."

Before Emma or Maria could say another word, there was a knock on the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?"Maria asked.

"No, I am not."

Emma stood and walked towards the door. She wondered who it could be.

Emma opened the door and her eyes met a man, in his twenties. He was about 5'11. Had curly black hair and had a glasses on. Emma wasn't sure if it was recommended or not but it looked good on him.

He wore sweat pants and a hoodie with crocs. He looked like he had just walked out of his room to get something. Emma hadn't seen that face before, it was her first time seeing him.

"Hello, I am Henry. I just moved next door."

"Who is there?" Maria asked.

"He said he is our new neighbour."

Emma closed the door behind her, moving out to speak to Henry.

"Hey, I am Emma,"

"So, I was asked to talk to you if I needed any help."

"Yes, true."

The buildings owner had put Emma in charge of care taking things in the apartment and in exchange, they get their rent reduced and she decided to accept even though she knew so little about it.

Henry noticed Emma was really polite, had a really nice smile and he hadn't expected such a beauty loving so close to him.

"I have an issue with a connection," he said.

"I can help," Emma said, knowing she probably didn't know what to do once she gets there.

Henry led Emma into his place. He still had some boxes unpacked on the floor and had some other things arranged around the room.

"So, where are you from? From this city?" Emma asked.

"Yes, I am. You?"

"Same," Emma said with a smile.

"Here is it," Henry said, pointing out to a socket.

Emma bent over like she had an idea what to do and was about to ask for tools when Henry spoke.

"You have no idea right?"

Emma laughed "Am o that obvious."

Henry laughed too and she stood to his side. "A little," he said and she laughed.

"I am sorry."

"No problem, I will just get an electrician tomorrow."

"Want a drink?" Henry asked.

"I should be the one offering, you're the new neighbour."

"You're here now, why don't we just have it. Maybe next time you can invite me over," he said, smiling.

Henry went over to pick a bottle of wine, as Emma scanned around the place with her eyes.

She had been to the apartment a couple of times when the other neighbour was there and it all looked so different now.

Emma noticed a framed poem on the wall, she moved closer to it...reading the words on it out loudly. She noticed it was signed Henry beneath and figured it was for him.

Henry was watching standing behind her.

"Wow, you write?" Emma asked curiously.

Henry handed over the wine to her. "I do a lot of things," he said with a smile. "Poetry happens to be one of it and my favourite."

"That's really amazing,"Emma said enthusiastically, as she sat on the chair around the kitchen counter and he sat opposite to her.

"You seem really interested, no one is ever this interested about my writing," he smiled. "At least not the girls I have met"

Emma smiled "I write sometimes too, so, tell me about poetry and you."