Chapter 5 Apt 201-5

Iris

The landlady called me later that afternoon and an hour later I was walking to the apartment building to look at a vacant apartment. The building was a twenty-minute walk from the hotel, which meant I didn't need to get a car straight away. The building looked old, but sturdy. The facade was made of red bricks and had black iron details. On the ground floor there was an antiquarian shop. Two large glass windows with black iron details at the corners showcased books of different ages. I was early, so I took some time looking at them and saw some I would like to read. If I moved into the building, I would need to give myself a book allowance.

"Iris?" someone asked. I turned around and saw a woman Lena's age with flaming red hair smiling at me.

"Yes. Mrs Brever?" I asked.

"Yes, nice to meet you," she said, and we shook hands. She showed me upstairs to the second floor and into the apartment. "It's not big, but it's cosy and everything is in working order," Mrs Brever told me. It was a one-bedroom apartment with a living area that connected to a small kitchen. The bedroom was small, but looked to have been painted recently and the warm, light taupe colour made it feel homely. The bedroom had a small window facing the main street. In the living area there was a door leading to a balcony facing a side street. It wasn't big, but you could fit two chairs and a table, I thought. Or maybe some flowers. The kitchen wasn't high-end or new, but it looked clean and everything looked well taken care of.

"I would very much like to rent this place," I told Mrs Brever.

"Fantastic. I like you and Linda said you were a sweetheart. I'll do a background check, just to verify. I need a security deposit and first month's rent up front. If everything checks out you can move in this weekend if that is okay?" she told me.

"That sounds amazing," I said. We talked a little as we walked out. I gave her my information and she promised to get back to me as soon as possible. To celebrate, I stopped by the small Chinese restaurant and ordered takeaway.

Mrs Brever called the following morning and told me nothing had showed on the background check and we booked a time the following day, Friday, to sign the lease and hand over the keys. When we hung up, I threw myself on the bed and squealed. Now I had a job AND an apartment. I was killing this "being on my own" thing. I should have done it years ago. It was scary and nerve-wracking, but also thrilling and amazing.

My first stop the next day was the secondhand shop I had seen on my first day. I needed... everything. The shop was run by an older man and his daughter. When I asked if they provided deliveries of the bigger items, they were sweet and told me that they did if the round trip was no longer than an hour, and there would be an additional fee. This solved one of my bigger problems and I walked around the shop to have a look. At first I heard my mother's voice in my head narrating what I was looking at.

"That is not from any of the reputable brands," I heard her say when I looked at an adorable set of teacups. I put the cup I was holding down. I picked up the next one on the shelf, cute small roses on a cream background. "Flowers? How... quaint," I heard her voice say, and I could see her crinkle her nose. I put down the cup and was about to walk away when I stopped. What was I doing? This was my apartment. I could decorate it how I wanted, not according to the strict rules my mother had put in place. I picked up both of the teacups again and looked at them. My mother's voice came back, but I tried my best to ignore it. When I let it fade into the background and let my own thoughts come to the front, I found that I adored the teacup with the roses. I looked and was happy to see it was a set of six cups with saucers and a small plate. The more I looked at them, the more convinced I was I needed them in my new life. They went into my basket as I continued to stroll around. In the beginning, it was hard to mute my mother's voice, but the more I did, the easier it became. I realised I didn't really know what I liked. I thought I liked the same aesthetics as my mother: clean, minimal, white, silver, beige. When my own thoughts were allowed, I found I thought that was boring. I wanted colours like pink, mauve, red and purple. I needed to explore these new insights more, but for the day, I was happy with my set of teacups, a set of utensils, a small table lamp with a round porcelain foot in cream colour, and a set of faux crystal glasses. I also found a bed frame in walnut, a small, round cafe table with two chairs in cast iron, and a small kitchen table in teak with two chairs. I walked up to the till and put my basket on the counter. I asked if it was possible to have the furniture delivered.

"No problem," the old man said after I had given him the address. "Do you want us to wrap those things and put them in a box and bring them as well?" he asked.

"Thank you, that would be very kind," I said. I walked out of the shop with no bags, but with a giddiness to see everything in my new apartment. When I got back to the hotel, I started doing things that needed to be done: register an account for electricity and one for internet. I had decided to order a new mattress as I didn't feel comfortable sleeping on a used one. I had enough money to get a decent one at least. As I was ordering it online, I found out it couldn't be delivered until a week and a half later. That wasn't helpful at all. Did I need to keep the hotel room for another two weeks? I was thinking about it when I got an idea. Looking around the internet, I found I could get an air mattress delivered overnight. It was the perfect solution. I could use it until my real mattress came and then I could use it for when I had guests over. Who these guests would be, I didn't know, but I could make friends. Maybe someone from my new job? Maybe I could even offer my new friends to borrow it if they needed. I could imagine the conversation.

"I can't believe my sister and her family want to come and stay with us," my friend would say. "We barely have room to host two people, let alone a family."

"I have an air mattress you can borrow. Two adults can easily fit on it," I would offer.

"Really? Are you sure? It would be a lifesaver," they would answer. I would be an amazing friend. I ordered the air mattress and the regular one and headed over to sign my lease and get my keys. I stood with the keys in my hand when I was alone in the apartment. I sat down on the floor and took a moment to realise I now had my own apartment. Apartment 201 on Maple Road was now my home.

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