They had shared the corridors for years. Ashley’s room looked out over the park, while Taylor’s caught quite a lot of morning sunshine. They shared many interests, even shared the shaggy dog that locally ate, wagged, and shat. During the recent Covid, they had taken to walking the pooch on the trail that circled the nearby park. It got them all out of the building for their Stage Four-regulation exercise!
They shared a newspaper, although each was careful of the need to unfold, de-crease and reassemble it back to page one. The crossword and sudoku were photocopied, each competing for speed, neatness and accuracy! The quizmaster’s role was turnabout and followed their shared evening meals, prepared in the kitchen, again on rota, and eaten in the dining room.
They shared a laundry, but agreed that the extra water, electricity and powder was a small price to pay for the separate attention to their own ‘smalls’!
There were occasional arguments, and disputes about the legitimacy of including ‘cine’ or ‘info’ in the Target, as neither could remember the outcome of the last time they sort referral from the bloody Macquarie! Routine had become the taskmaster, and it seemed to reduce the need for decisions!
The garden sometimes saw heated debate about whose turn it was to mow the grass. In recent months it was becoming noticeable that the chores were slipping. They were also seeing and smelling a cat, evidently taking a liking to the porch, and shitting in one of the corners! Chilli-flakes were now liberally sprinkled, and Ashley was suggesting a cat trap, to relocate the bugger!
But it wasn’t all a bunch of roses! Taylor sought quiet time to read. There was an established beachhead in a big comfy chair, positioned to catch the morning light. Questions wafting up the passage about options for an evening meal were ignored! Similarly, Taylor’s suggestion, from the Netflix’s menu, rarely achieved agreement.
On their weekly visits, the kids were noticing the disquiet, the increased distance along the passage between the rooms, the neighbourly formality that had replaced their once intimate playfulness.