"I wonder if it really will happen," Susan said to herself. She looked up to see a blond young man staring at her.
"You wonder if what will really happen?" he asked. He had a quizzical crooked smile.
"Excuse me," she said brushing by him and jumping up the front steps of her building.
"I think it probably will happen to a girl as beautiful as yourself," he yelled after her.
Susan felt her cheeks turning a crimson red, but couldn't resist turning to catch a glimpse of that smile. Only he had vanished into the crowd.
Once inside she fumbled with her keys, attempting to open her mailbox. "Oh, bother!"
"What's wrong Miss? Can't get to your letters?"
She turned to see a small man, not quite reaching her waist. She wondered if there was a circus nearby. "No, it's just that this key doesn't quite work."
"I know. These locks can be tricky.." He put a box down and stood on it, grabbing Susan's keys from her hand, he deftly opened the mailbox and withdrew her letters.
"Here you are, Miss ...?"
"Pevensie, Susan Penvensie."
The man's eyes widened in recognition. "Yes, well, if you ever need my help, I'll be around.."
Susan was busy, sorting through her mail. "Yes, Mister ...?" But he had already disappeared.
"What a strange little man."
She turned and ran up the stairs wincing as she went.
"Blast these stairs."
Then she noticed Sneed. She wore a grey house dress and was holding a broom, pretending to sweep the entryway to her flat. She grimaced at Susan.
"Sorry, Mrs. Sneed it's just that these are new shoes and they've given me a blister."
Sneed stared at her, squinting her eyes. Does she give that look to everyone? Or am I the only unfortunate recipient? She hurried on. The blister hurt but Sneed was more painful. She seemed familiar in an unpleasant way. She could never quite remember who it was, but she reminded her of someone. It was at the edge of her mind like a dream you can't remember.
Susan ran up the last flight of stairs, gritting her teeth, slamming the door and kicking off her shoes. One landed in the umbrella stand she kept by the door.
"Peter would applaud me for that. I can just hear it, 'Good shot, Sue!'"
She smiled. The first smile of a long day. Somehow Peter always made her smile.
"Oh bother! I should have just gone along with them to see Kirke. It would have been a bore but better than the party."
Saturday night was a complete disaster.. Ian, the medical student with dimples, had invited her in a most appealing manner. He took her hands in his and looked longingly into her eyes.
"Susan, you must come to my party on Saturday. I will be desolate if you're not there."
Somehow she imagined he meant that. So Saturday night she showed up, in a new dress, only to find Ian with a pretty blonde on his arm. There was a room full of other girls and a few overworked medical students who sat in the corner joking about their cadavers. They had given them names and imagined their lives.
"How obscene. It was simply awful." she had lamented to a coworker in the dispensary.
"Morbid, not obscene. What did you expect? Romance?"
Yes, romance. She had expected romance. Now she was here, all alone in her apartment. Another boring week ahead of her.
"I'm simply awful at choosing men. I remember Rabadash." She blushed and shuddered at the same time."That was a close call." Then she caught herself. "Susan, you fool, that was only a dream. Why was she thinking of Narnia?
It must be the invitation to see Kirke. He was such a dear. She hoped he wouldn't be disappointed about her absence last weekend. But ever since she had received the invitation she found herself thinking of Narnia. She remembered the galas and balls. She was Queen Susan, the Gentle. She was adored and loved by all. And she owned the most beautiful gowns and jewels.
"If I just had one of those brooches. Or the emerald earrings. They were just everyday wear for me. I had cases full of jewels. Now all I have is cheap costume jewelry. Oh, I've got to stop thinking like this. Ever since Kirke's invitation I keep thinking of Narnia. As if it's a place that even exists. I can't just get in a motor and drive there. What good is it to me now? I've got to be practical and face the facts. I'm just Susan Pevensie, working in a dispensary. What is Narnia to me now? Even Aslan said it was just for kids and I can't go back."
She wiped a tear from her cheek and tucked her hair behind her ears. She couldn't bear to cut it short. It was the only remnant of Narnia she held onto.
"Come on Sue. Get hold of yourself. Maybe I'll go see Mum and Dad. Yes, I'll go see them. Peter, Edmund and Lucy will be there. And I'll feel ever so much better. They will want to tell me all about their visit with Kirke." With that she ran her bath water and washed the whole miserable day away.
As she lay in bed that night, she remembered the boy with the crooked smile. If only he was her neighbor instead of Sneed. Maybe someday she would see him again.