The sky went from silver to pewter between the Métro station and number sixteen Rue des Toits Rouges, but I’m spared, dodging a headful of frizzy curls and a ruined silk skirt. I trot up the stone steps and into the elegant old foyer and press the brass button for flat 5C. Smoothing my top and hair, I wait for the buzz—for Didier to unlock the foyer’s inside door. Normally it takes a matter of seconds, but not this evening. After a minute I ring the bell again and check his mailbox. Empty. A smile overtakes my lips. It blossoms to a grin when I spot him through the glass door, appearing at the end of the hall from the stairwell. He waves, striding to let me in. “Hello,” I say. “Well done.” Perhaps one visit in five he’ll come down to meet me. Sometimes he has food on the stove, a ready excuse, but in truth it’s his agoraphobia that keeps him upstairs. But not tonight, it would seem. “Caroly. Good evening.” He kisses my cheeks and takes the overnight bag from my hand.
What do You think about Curio Vignettes 04 Confession?
