the number one to arbury

spark

It's ten past midnight.

The first thing I hear when I wake up is the faint sound of Mara's voice from downstairs, just come home from somewhere I don't know where she spent the Friday night. Mara Waterley, the person who lives at 94 Lazarus Ave, Lina's friend.

After a while, the voice disappears. I can't hear the click of a closing door anywhere, maybe it's too quiet to be heard from this room with the door closed or maybe she's fallen asleep on the couch.

I look through the window. I have seen only bright night skies and it's something to see the stars this clear. Scattered in a way that it turns into something beautiful instead of a mess. The light below comes from the streetlights and the terrace lights. I can see a couple people walking on the streets, coming back from anywhere they've spent the Friday night.

The phone sits on top of the drawer next to the bed, still charging at ninety percent. I thought of taking it off but in the end I wait until it's fully topped up. A song comes up in my head. At first I hum the tune, then the words come along. I try to keep it as quiet as possible so I won't bother her down there. When the phone's fully charged, the screen lights up with a notification and I pull the cable. I plug in my earbuds and put them on, playing something from the phone. The songs I just hummed.

I dance around the room the way I did the day before I lost my sister.

The next morning Mara only wakes up at nine. I have been waiting for half an hour in the living room, watching a movie from the disc she'd left in the player. She still leans right and left when she's walking, holding onto the railing of the stairs as she comes down and the wall when she's already on the ground floor, heading towards the kitchen. I leave the room and help her get to the kitchen.

'Thanks, but I can take it from here,' she says when we're already in the dining room.

She prepares four slices of toast and puts two on each plate. She puts the plates on the table, one right in front of me and the other for her own in front of the seat opposite mine. She takes out the butter and two jars of jam from the fridge and puts it on the table between the plates, with a spoon on top of each and a knife with the butter.

I spread some butter on both and some strawberry jam on one slice, then put them together and wait until she's done putting together her toast. Almost the exact same thing as mine but she only does the butter on one slice.

After breakfast we stay there for a while, talking about things.

'So how was last night?'

'One of the best, I tell you. Maybe we should continue this talk in the living room, over the movie you were watching.'

'OK. I bet it's something you'd rather not say in the kitchen.'

Mara pushes the previous button two times, bringing the movie closer to where she left it. She puts the remote in front of the telly and sit on the right edge of the couch. I sit next to her and say, 'Continue about last night...'

'So, well, I know I came back here sometime after midnight. Didn't get drunk this time, even though I had a glass, but I did get to hook up with someone. By the way, have you ever...'

'One time. Just one time.'

'So you can imagine. The bar's in the same building as a hotel, and this guy's staying for a couple nights. He took me to his room...and that's where the magic happens.'

'Magic. I've tried that and I'm not sure if I can call it so, but I'm glad my first one is a good one. The guy, he said he'd done it a few times already before he did it with me. And I can definitely tell how experienced he is. One of the best nights.'