Day 4

I do not own anything

Sunday, 24th November 1950.

"urg…" Christine groans as she is once again being woke up by the roof. " I hate morning." As she tried to pull herself out of the bed.

Christine found out that she ran out of foods, so she decided to go out, but all the store near her apartment was closed, so she had to walk to the market. She stopped at the grocery store. It was almost Christmas and Christine wanted to have a real party for herself. She chose three good eggs and two kilograms of meat. Then she saw a small bakery and Christine always had a soft spot for sweet so she rewards herself with one of their best muffin and a small bottle of honey.

Tonight, she would have her dinner on her bed with an interesting book. After one long and good night sleep, she smiles continueer reason to live again the day after. When she did not get enough sleep, Christine usually got all grumpy and annoying, besides, she spent most of her time working those past few weeks. A bouquet of roses caught her attention, it was a bit dry but she could always use it to make some liquid. So Christine paid two shillings for the bouquet and left the store.

She walked back and put all her things in her refrigerator, Christine found that the weather was nice so she decided to take her breakfast out in the park nearby. But when she walked downstage, Christine saw her neighbor was walking up, looked like he just finished his morning shopping, too.

" good morning, Erik," Christine called his name, he did tell her to use his name last night.

" good morning, Christine." He said, looking rather surprised to see her up so early.

" I see you are about to have a party tonight." She said, looking at his grocery bag. "I hope I can get some sleep tonight or I would have to knock on your door and remind you of what you told me just several nigh ago?"

" It is fine, I am a loner, I have never had a party before, not in the past, not now, and not in the future."

" Why?" she asked. " it is Christmas. Don't you want to have a celebration?"

" hell no, I hate those kinds of things. It is troublesome." He said, but then he found that what he just said was rather rude to someone who loved parties and celebrations like Christine.

" well, I don't like it, too, but it is a holiday, so… " Christine was no surprise at all, Erik hated noise, why else would he complain every time she invited her friends to her apartment. " what about the kid, they will…"

" well, consider you live right next door, I am pretty sure that you would have known that I did not have any kids, it is another good reason for not being a liar, I mean, take an example, Santa Claus, everyone he is not real but they want to make the children believing in him, what's the point anyway, you will have to tell them the truth one day in the future and I am pretty sure it is not as happy as it is in their imagination." He said. " I already told you, I am a loner, I can take care of everything by myself. Besides, no one really cares anyway, the world is a better place without me."

" What makes you think that? I am sure there will be a lot of people who want to get to know you." Christine tried to convince him, " maybe next time I have my friends come over, I will introduce you to them." ' I mean the mask may look a bit weird but he was still a rather good-looking man, without his grumpiness, he would be a man of many woman's dreams.' She though.

" no, I don't think I should". Erik said, emotionless. When Christine tried to ask him some more questions about his family, Erik changed the subject. " so, what about you, will you invite your family over? Please if you do, tell me first so that I could prepare everything to help me sleep better."

"no, I won't. I do not have any family left to invite over." She said.

" what a good reason for not inviting your family over."

Christine looked at him, she was a bit surprised by what he said, and then burst out laughing, she swore, she could see Erik's ears were a bit red.

" that was a clumsy answer." He looked down.

" what about you?" she asked. " will you invite your family over or will you just go and visit them?"

" no, I did not get along well with my family. It has been like that several years already, I am sure I will make everyone happier if I stay out of the picture."

" but…."

" Anyway, why are you up so early?"

" Nah, I blame the roof, it has stolen my sleep, so I decided to wake up early and went shopping, you know, it is Christmas after all, and I wanted to relax after several long and tiring weeks," Christine said. She knew he was trying to change the subject but she let it slip.

" I see." He smiles. " waking up early is good for your health, try not to sleep late much, and excuse me, I would love to continue to talk to you but I need to put my things in the refrigerator before it goes bad." Erik said, trying to walk past her.

Christine knew that she should stay away from him as much as possible, but she did not want their conversation to end like that and she did want to get to know her neighbor more, after all, they lived right next door.

"Hey" " yeah?"

" did you have breakfast yet?" She asked, looking hopefully at him.

" ahh, no, I have not, I am planning to make some omelet." Erik looked at her, confused.

" I see, hey, do you want to have some breakfast with me? I know a café store where have the best breakfast in town."

"Uhm…" Erik looked a bit uncomfortable, but with one look at her hopeful eyes, he could not deny her anything. " I think it is a lovely idea. Let me put my things away, I will meet you downstage."

" sure."

oOo

Christine stood near the door and waited for Erik to come down. Then she hears a car honk right behind her. Erik was sitting in that car.

" come in, I think it is too cold for both of us to walk anyway."

" where did you find this car?"

" I stole it."

"what?!"

" of course I have a car, idiot." He laughed. " let go to the café you told me, I don't know about you but I know I could use a drive since if we walk, I will be too tired and can not enjoy our breakfast without me complaining about my knees."

" that's not funny, I am not that old." Christine said with a faking annoying voice, which made Erik laughed harder. " let's go before I kill you and thrown your body out of the car window."

" I don't doubt that." He smiled and started the car. " and it is not you that old, my dear, it is me. I am too old for a walk." He whispered, more like talking to himself.

And they fell in a very uncomfortable and long silence.

After thirty very awkward minutes, Christine decided she should say something and started a conversation with her neighbor, again.

" it is a very nice car," Christine remembered that she read about men and their cars somewhere in the magazine.

" thank you, you are the first one who admired the beauty of this old junk."

" well, it has a very nice…" Christine looked around, trying to find something that she could use as a compliment for the old car. " … smelt?"

" don't bother, I know what it's smelt like. But I like your gut."

" well…" Christine blushed " turn right when you passed that tree and we will saw the café I told you."

" thank god, I am hungry enough to eat a cow."

" well, I don't know if they have 'a cow' on their menu or not…"

" hah hah." Erik laughed.

" so, what do you want?"

" well, how about some soup? We could steal some bread for the ducks, it is Christmas after all, and we don't want anyone to get hungry."

" I think it is a great idea."

(TBC)