Theo’s hand raises to help instinctively, but he decides it will probably not be welcome at this stage in their relationship and puts it back in his pocket.
‘ Ah ha!’ she announces triumphantly. There are two doors almost side by side into the building here, with no carving or ornamentation like the front door. Instead, they are plain and not very tall. Theo can’t but help think that they must lead into the grand house’s storage rooms. If so, it will probably be damp and most certainly too low to stand up straight. Much as he needs somewhere to stay, he is glad he has not signed anything.
The first door swings open and two steps take them down into a good-sized room. The woman struggles with the shutters, and Theo offers to help. She leaves him to do it. When the shutters open, he witnesses a pair of legs striding past on the pavement above. He turns away and coughs; the legs were a woman ’s, her skirt not long enough to preserve her modesty from this angle.
‘ Bathroom,’ he hears the landlady say from a doorway in the corner. He follows the sound of her voice down a short corridor. A door to the left opens to a bathroom, the ceiling of which slopes, suggesting that it is fitted into the space under some stairs of the main house. It smells of damp, and there are black spots in the corner. The woman has already gone through to a second room.
‘ Kitchen,’ she says. The room is large, and in it is a double bed and a very ornate wardrobe with fine wooden carving and delicate wood inlay. There is no damp here. The kitchen area consists of a concrete shelf with a sink at one end and a two-burner stove with a gas bottle at the foot of the bed.
She struggles with the shutters in here, too. Theo helps. Light floods in, filtered through a layer of dust on the glass. Two rooms to call his own. The floors are tiled with old-fashioned tiles which make floral designs, a border around the edge. He loves them, and as if it is a sign, they are the same as were in his yiayia’s house.
‘ Right, sign here and give me the deposit.’ Until that moment, Theo has not noticed, folded tightly in her fist, she has brought her hand-written contract with her. She pulls it straight. Theo signs and then looks at the amount she has asked for.
‘ But this is four weeks’ rent, I thought you said two weeks in advance,’ he argues. The image of his yiayia fades and is replaced by the man in the white dressing gown.
‘ You need to listen. I said two weeks, in advance, and for damages. So another two weeks for damages. Which is refundable,’ she croaks.
Theo is beginning to no longer be amused by her, and his kefi is wearing thin.
‘ I’ll give you two weeks in advance for damages,’ he says.
‘ You looked like you were going to be trouble.’ She holds the door open for him to leave.
Theo struggles. On the one hand, he feels she is taking advantage of him, but he also considers that nothing in the paper even came close to matching her price, and he really does need somewhere to stay. Two weeks in advance somewhere else would be the same as the four weeks in advance that she is asking here, and the idea of going through the whole process of looking at another place to stay is just too much.
‘Fine.’ He takes out his wad of money and peels off the amount she has requested. Her eyes watch the roll as he replaces the majority of it and she hesitates to take the share she is offered.
‘ I need a deposit for electricity,’ she says, her words rushed, her eyes on his pocket.
‘ Is it on a separate meter?’
‘ Yes.’
‘ Then I will get it put in my name.’
‘ But until then, you must pay.’
Theo does his best to remain patient. He takes his money out again and peels off a note of low value. She waits with her hand open, but he does not offer any more.
‘Your key.’ Her voice is sulky. She drops the keys to the gate and the door on the concrete shelf and turns to leave.
‘ The contract?’ Theo holds out
‘ Ah ha!’ she announces triumphantly. There are two doors almost side by side into the building here, with no carving or ornamentation like the front door. Instead, they are plain and not very tall. Theo can’t but help think that they must lead into the grand house’s storage rooms. If so, it will probably be damp and most certainly too low to stand up straight. Much as he needs somewhere to stay, he is glad he has not signed anything.
The first door swings open and two steps take them down into a good-sized room. The woman struggles with the shutters, and Theo offers to help. She leaves him to do it. When the shutters open, he witnesses a pair of legs striding past on the pavement above. He turns away and coughs; the legs were a woman ’s, her skirt not long enough to preserve her modesty from this angle.
‘ Bathroom,’ he hears the landlady say from a doorway in the corner. He follows the sound of her voice down a short corridor. A door to the left opens to a bathroom, the ceiling of which slopes, suggesting that it is fitted into the space under some stairs of the main house. It smells of damp, and there are black spots in the corner. The woman has already gone through to a second room.
‘ Kitchen,’ she says. The room is large, and in it is a double bed and a very ornate wardrobe with fine wooden carving and delicate wood inlay. There is no damp here. The kitchen area consists of a concrete shelf with a sink at one end and a two-burner stove with a gas bottle at the foot of the bed.
She struggles with the shutters in here, too. Theo helps. Light floods in, filtered through a layer of dust on the glass. Two rooms to call his own. The floors are tiled with old-fashioned tiles which make floral designs, a border around the edge. He loves them, and as if it is a sign, they are the same as were in his yiayia’s house.
‘ Right, sign here and give me the deposit.’ Until that moment, Theo has not noticed, folded tightly in her fist, she has brought her hand-written contract with her. She pulls it straight. Theo signs and then looks at the amount she has asked for.
‘ But this is four weeks’ rent, I thought you said two weeks in advance,’ he argues. The image of his yiayia fades and is replaced by the man in the white dressing gown.
‘ You need to listen. I said two weeks, in advance, and for damages. So another two weeks for damages. Which is refundable,’ she croaks.
Theo is beginning to no longer be amused by her, and his kefi is wearing thin.
‘ I’ll give you two weeks in advance for damages,’ he says.
‘ You looked like you were going to be trouble.’ She holds the door open for him to leave.
Theo struggles. On the one hand, he feels she is taking advantage of him, but he also considers that nothing in the paper even came close to matching her price, and he really does need somewhere to stay. Two weeks in advance somewhere else would be the same as the four weeks in advance that she is asking here, and the idea of going through the whole process of looking at another place to stay is just too much.
‘Fine.’ He takes out his wad of money and peels off the amount she has requested. Her eyes watch the roll as he replaces the majority of it and she hesitates to take the share she is offered.
‘ I need a deposit for electricity,’ she says, her words rushed, her eyes on his pocket.
‘ Is it on a separate meter?’
‘ Yes.’
‘ Then I will get it put in my name.’
‘ But until then, you must pay.’
Theo does his best to remain patient. He takes his money out again and peels off a note of low value. She waits with her hand open, but he does not offer any more.
‘Your key.’ Her voice is sulky. She drops the keys to the gate and the door on the concrete shelf and turns to leave.
‘ The contract?’ Theo holds out
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