The key, Lesson 4 of Essentials of Fiction Writing
narrated by Louise Grammatico
The house was situated in a quiet area with two floors of family houses with beautiful gardens. Grethen occupied a chamber on the second floor furnished with a single bed, a small table and some cupboards. Long transparent curtain on the window covered part of the view to the beautiful flower garden. A new carpet in corresponding nuances with her blankets created the room to look homey. She regularly paid her weekly rent to Ernest, the other tenant. It was Friday and she awoke early from the sound of the wind and alighted the stairs to go in the kitchen. It was her second day in the new house. Erol was already in the kitchen. She had arrived recently in this town because she has heard by her acquaintances that she can find work fast as she did without retarding. She was in her late twenties with long chestnut hair and she watched the world vividly with her brown eyes and right featured face. She was average height and she possessed a pretty figure. This day as she was prepared to go to work she wore sportive trousers, heavy jumper, grey coat, and black shoes. She was at the half of her way when she has heard the voice of Ernest:
‘’Would you like a tea?’’
‘’I will prepare by myself one cup of tea very fast,’’ answered Grethen while she arranged the cup.
Erol was in his fourties. He was tall, with a sportive figure. Beneath his brown hair watched green-blue eyes, which helped him to seem friendly. He was occupying the biggest room on the ground floor. The other two rooms were rented by a family but stayed locked most of the time, as they were away for some time as the man has worked in the countryside and his family has traveled with him.
Ernest again questioned her as he already fixed on her penetrating eyes:
‘’Are you at work today?’’ As usual, he continued with questions. He tried to be open-hearted but wanted to know everything. The question irritated her as she did not like someone to observe so oppressively her life. She was paying the rent regularly, so it was not a point to interrogate her. She replied short:
‘’Yes, I am going now. And you?’’
‘’I suppose not. I am at work another day. Today I am off.’’ he glanced at her.
It was passed four o’clock and the beclouded weather was tending to prevent the twilight.
She consumed fast her tea and went out. Outside it was still night as the sun did not raise yet, but the daylight was in the store to appear soon. She walked away from the place in the early hours of the day. Even at this time of the day, the air was gentle and fresh.
Immediately as she left Ernest has entered into her room and examined the entire content of her cupboard and the hangers with clothes inside the wardrobe. He checked even the pockets of her jackets and the other coat but did not theft anything. Next, he went back into the kitchen and checked what is inside of her cupboard.
When Grethen return home after work she did not notice anything and soon started to cook and tidy in the kitchen. She always kept highest tidiness, cleanliness, and convenience without filth neither on her room nor in the kitchen. The smallest window beneath the roof gave it picturesque seeming. At that moment her phone left in the room rang, and because she did not heart it Ernest notified her:
‘’Grethen, someone looking for you on the phone.’’ She did not want to be rude and simply replied:
‘’Thank you,’’ Till she walked to find the telephone the ringing stopped, and she returned at the kitchen and continued with preparation.
After half an hour her phone rang again. Ernest called on Grethen again:
‘’Your phone is ringing again. Go and answer, because it creates noise,’’
She answered rather hesitating, most plain:
‘’Sure,’’
Her friends on the phone asked her to go out on Friday to see each other, and she spoke for around ten minutes with them. They negotiated on the phone to come and talk longer later in the evening for things concerning Grethen and her friends, a couple which she knew, Hilda and Erol. The call of her friends sent a blot of electricity throughout the house.
Ernest stood at the center of the kitchen, and notified her imperatively:
‘’I don’t want anyone to come in this house to see you. If you have any arrangements, go to see him outside or somewhere else,’’
These words of Ernest gave to Grethen the shiver of internal irritating. Grethen did not seem prepared to argue on a conversation of this type as she was shocked by his attitude. With the help of her calmest character and well behaving style she simply interjected:
‘’I am paying my rent and I have a right to invite and communicate with visitors. My friends will come to see me and to collect me to go out with them,’’
He rudely announced:
‘’If you ignore what I am saying, firstly I will vet you and your friends, and if I am not indulged you should go and find another place to live,’’
This worried her not a little, as she was scared from his insolence. While Grethen started to rethink her situation in the house she re-attained:
’’But they are on their way to come. They rang me that they are approaching,’’
‘’They cannot come. If they want to speak with you, go outside to speak with them,’’ he continued to be impudent.
She did not withhold from her position and stated:
”Ernest, it is very cubbish to talk me like that. I am not your fifteen years old daughter. By the way, I have civil rights as all other people,’’
He softened towards his stance:
‘’OK, they can come here, but if I think that they are no nice persons I will report you,’’
She protested:
‘’Where you intend to report me or them. Spy someone is a breach of rights,’’
He insisted:
‘’I don’t know them and see how I feel. In this town are living a lot of people who I don’t know.’’
She emotionally exclaimed:
‘’You are not my father, I can look after myself,’’
He explained:
‘’ I want my house to be visited only by nice people. I am afraid because I am living alone and I don’t want to hurt you but if your friends who you think are nice thieve something or create me any troubles you will need to find another place to go,’’
‘’I will introduce you to them and you will see that they are good people’’’ she suggested.
The buzz tinkled and Hilda and Erol have arrived. She alighted on the stairs and on the entrance, she explained the situation and Gustaf stated:
‘’We don’t want to annoy anyone. It is better to get your coat and come with us. In a five minutes walking, there are plenty of coffee places and pubs,’’
She felt confused because of the abrupt of the circumstance and agreed:
‘’Maybe you are right,’’ She collected her coat and they set off for the nearest coffee bar.
They spent a nice evening listening to music and speaking with each other. She narrated to them for her housemate and his requirement.
When she returned, she noticed that some of her belongings were changed their place. It is nothing missed, but in the opposite, she saw an item which possession was not. It was an old empty small bag, with some small pieces of handwritten paper as a part of note cube. It was too late to ask Ernest. It has not seemed light or any noise from his room and she went to ask him the next day for it.
Ernest stood in the kitchen waiting expectantly for her in the earlier hours of the day. Grethen was seeming very serious, and a little puzzled. She has asked him for these strange things, and he replied:
‘’I don’t know. Before here was living another guy, maybe he knows,’’
The sincerity is always valuable. Grethen remained exceedingly calm and said:
‘’I want to lock my room when I am going out. Please give me a key,’’
He continued to smile:
‘’I would rather not. Here is not a key and here are not a thieve. If you don’t like, go and find somewhere else to stay. Now, please excuse me but I need to go to work.’’
He kept silent for a while and went out. She stayed and wondered at which area to start looking for a place to remove all her home.
It was only the sound of the wind rising. The sun was still not appeared, and the day was about to start.
Author: Louise Grammatico