– Hello, Samantha! Sorry to bother you, Im your downstairs neighbour.
– Ill turn the music down, no worries, replied the young woman in a light dressing gown, holding a glass of wine.
– Oh, thats not it, please dont trouble yourself. My husbands work called, they need him urgently.
– Is he alright?
– They didnt say, only that its urgent. My mum lives too far away. Could you possibly keep an eye on my son? Hes seven and a halfcould stay on his own, but Ill be so anxious otherwise. My nerves are shot as it is
– Of course, Ill get changed and be right down.
– Hes a quiet boyeither glued to the tablet or asking questions.
***
Samantha, now in a white T-shirt and jeans, sat at the table sipping tea, chatting on the phone:
– That Parker woman in accounts is as thick as two short planks. Cant you see her fluttering her eyelashes at Peter from HR?
A boy walked in, holding a tablet. Debate echoed from itJamie and Adam from MythBusters struggling to agree. His T-shirt read, The Future Is Robots!
– Sorry, Ill call you back. Doing my good deed for the week, she finished, hanging up. Hello, Im Auntie Sam. Would you like some tea?
– No, thank you. Im James. Mum told me about you. Youre pretty Though Mum says pretty girls are always unlucky, and Dad says by that logic, either Mums ugly or their marriage is a disaster.
– Your parents sound like a right pair! But thanks for pretty. As for unlucky…
– Wheres your husband?
– Oh he went to the shops. About three years ago.
– Ah, I see! He left you!
– Tell me, have you got anything stronger than tea in this place? Conversations like this call for reinforcements
– Theres wine in the fridge, I think.
– Thank you, but Id better stick to tea. As Im a guest.
– Auntie Sam, you need a new husband.
– James, Ill wait til youre a bit older. But where do you find a good one these days?
– Who are you looking for? I watched this show oncethey said you have to picture exactly what you want.
– Send me a link to that show. Well, someone rich, handsome, kind. Wholl love me, look after me
– Why would he want you?
– Beg pardon?
– I mean, why? Youll love him and go to the spa, you said. But what does he get? If hes clever, hell want a partner, not a freeloader rattling around his flat.
– Wheres that wine, then? She dumped her tea down the sink, filled her mug with wine.
– I watched this show about rich businessmens wives. Said theyre all drunks. Rattling round in their mansions, drinking away the loneliness.
– Thats called being alone, dear James. Will you have some? Only joking!
– Do you know who Im going to marry?
– Me, as I said!
– Im serious.
– Go on then.
– Annie. We do robotics club together. Shes clevercleverer than me. Once at a competition, we had two modules that stopped working with each other over Bluetooth. I panicked. Robots not moving. She calmed me down and started reconnecting. Devices everywherephones, laptopscouldnt see ours. She grabbed everything and darted outside. I followed. In the park, with no other signals, the modules found each other. We went back in and won! Shes my teammate. I trust hershes worth loving!
Samantha gulped her wine, refilled her mug.
– Annie’s a crafty one, nabbing herself a husband that smart. So youre saying I ought to look for a partner at work?
– The strong will find their own. Why search? Its not like hunting for tomatoes at Tesco.
– Oh, lay off the psychology, will you? I dont get it!
– Become wealthy, beautiful, and kind yourself! Got it?
– And then what would I need a man for? Id travel, learn Spanish, start a cooking class, maybe finally master ballroom dancing
– Whats stopping you now?
– No husband to fund it all.
– Then you really are a freeloader. A parasite.
– Steady on! I just want a bit of normal happiness.
– Watch fewer romantic comedies! If you keep hunting for some imaginary idiot, youll miss real life!
– Oh, shut up! What would you know? Go to your room, clever clogs. Time for bed!
James left, and Samanthas eyes welled up. She finished her wine as her phone buzzed. She ignored it. The front door openeda couple stepped in, both tipsy, faces all smiles.
– Sam, thank you so much for watching him! the neighbour sang out.
– No trouble. I, erm, had some of your wine
– Thats fine, dont worry.
– Alls well with your husband?
– Oh, it was just his mates. Foolish lot. Todays the anniversary of our first kiss. I turned up at his officehes lying on the floor with a note saying Sleeping BeautyKiss Me! We grabbed some wine and went to the cinema, reliving our uni days.
– Are you all in this together? Id best get off.
– How was James? Behaved himself? his mother asked by the door.
– Terrible. Simply dreadful. May I babysit for him again and do a bit of proper upbringing next time?
Life isn’t about waiting for someone to bring you happinessits about building it yourself and cherishing those genuine moments along the way.
