I totter through a city I no longer recognise: kebabs sizzle on kerbside grills,
giant fizzy drinks parade across dazzling screens, and a congregation of youths broadcast a painfully-repetitive beat from a street corner. The pinnacle of strangeness is a suited man wearing an ostensible black hearing aid who paces furiously, talking to himself. When I reach the safety of my apartment block, I escape the outside world as quickly as my body allows. I make my way up the stairs, knees clicking on every step. On my way past, I check the post and am not surprised to see a solitary envelope addressed to my wife. Once inside the flat, I head straight to the kettle. A catchy jingle washes over me: Loneliness affects one in four/ There are some people you shouldn’t ignore/ Visit your elderly relatives more! I don’t remember turning the radio on. I crumble into my armchair and unfurl today’s newspaper. After glancing at the front page, I skip to the puzzles, starting with the quick crossword. I’ve never been great at these things and, sure enough, I get stuck on the first clue. Instinctively, my eyes are drawn to the other side of the room and I ask an empty chair for suggestions. The kettle is whirring manically so I go and pour the water out, feeling a pang of guilt when I realise I’ve boiled twice as much as I need. The afternoon plods by. When darkness descends, I sit down to write my daily letter, eager to tell her about the strange sightings on my walk. As always, the writing comes easily: each sentence compensates the words I wasn’t able to say. I diligently add the final full stop then slide my work into an envelope, tenderly licking the seal and fixing the stamp. Holding it close to my chest, I curl up in the oversized bed. I’ll send the letter tomorrow and receive it the day after. The End (c) Daniel Clark
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