3rd Floor Apartments
Shh-Shh, Shh-Shh, Shh-Shh.
“What’s that noise?” asked the friend visiting 3B.
“That’s the guy upstairs, scrubbing his floors,” said the woman.
“He has wood floors?” asked her friend, looking down at the worn-out standard-issue beige wall-to-wall carpeting. A muddy stain near the door displayed an ancient, odd mix of shoe polish and ground-in grass. “Why don’t you?”
“Like I could afford anything right now. Anyway, I like the carpeting. It’s good to lie down on. I think he ripped his out last year sometime,” said 3B. “And yeah, he scrubs it clean, like twice a week. I don’t even vacuum that much!”
“I can tell.”
Down the hall in 3E, simmering herbed marinara sauce bubbled and sputtered onto the thirty-year-old golden cook top. “You’d better clean that before it hardens!” said the woman in curlers and housecoat from the other room. She turned back to the television in time to see one of Bob Barker’s Beauties lavishly encircle a bureau with over-acting arms and an over-perfect smile.
“I know, doll.”
The tomatoes popped again.
“And why don’t you use a lid?”
“I know, doll,” said 3E man, placing his palms flat on the kitchen table, slowly pushing himself up from the wobbly chair. He stood up, shuffled to the stove, and lifted the warped lid from the pot. A billow of steam freed itself from the pot and the man inhaled the garlic and basil and oregano. He dipped the wooden spoon into the sauce and stirred it carefully around the perimeter three times, then across the middle.
“Make sure you stir it gently! Not too fast!” said the woman. Another Beauty showed off an exercise machine and the audience’s perfectly timed applause filled the living room of 3E.
“I know, doll!” said the man.
3D sat in front of the television set. Her eyes were glazed over and she stared at the screen, not really seeing anything. A nearly empty box of chocolate Keebler Elf cookies sat on the arm of the couch next to her. She thought about how much time had passed since she smoked up. She slowly turned her head and looked out through the window, half-expecting the skies to be dark and nighttime to have arrived. The sky was bright with the mid-morning sun and 3D chuckled to herself.
3B’s friend stood on her tiptoes to reach the box of Lucky Charms from the top of the fridge. She opened the box and then reached in and ate a handful. She got out bowls and the quart of 2 percent milk. “So what’s your schedule like today?” she shouted to the bedroom.
A full-length mirror hung on the back of the closed door, and 3B was standing naked in front of it, staring, turning. Her friend’s question made her shiver. She moved away from the mirror and started getting dressed. “Not really sure,” she called back. “I have to work from two to close, but then I’m not doing much. You?”
“I’m working one to six, and then meeting up with the guys. You should come over, too.”
“Not tonight,” 3B said, thinking of one guy in particular.
“Why not?” said her friend, pouring the milk.
“I’ve been kind of tired lately, think I should go to sleep early for once.”
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