Page 24 of Sunrise By the Sea

Ohcrap. Crap crap crap. The worst had happened. There was a pause.

She took off her headphones and stepped forward, swallowing loudly, terrified.

The door swung open. Marisa braced herself, ready for someone yelling at her.

He loomed, the size of the doorframe, his face beneath the beard – he had a strong aquiline nose and Asiatic brown eyes framed with very dark eyebrows, which wasn’t how she normally thought of Russian people looking at all: she thought they were blond and blue-eyed. Oh goodness. How cross was he going to be?

But instead, he looked delighted.

‘AHA! HELLO!’ he roared. She felt trembly.

‘I HAVE PERSON NEXT DOOR!’

Well, that cleared up whether or not he knew the word neighbour.

‘I didn’t not know I was havink person next door! You arrive today?’

‘Actually, I’ve been here for three weeks.’

His face looked confused.

‘Three weeks? But I too have been here three weeks.’

He obviously didn’t remember her from the bakery.

‘But I do not see you come out or come in.’

She half-smiled and didn’t answer, not wanting to admit that she hadn’t been out once.

‘You leave me note!’

He held it out to her, smiling, and indicated that she take it.

‘Thank you for note!’

‘Um . . .’

He stood back.

‘Can you read note to me, please?’

There was a long pause. Marisa felt her insides turn cold.

‘I can . . . you don’t read English?’

‘I do! Very much! But. Only when it is in typink. Yes.’

Marisa glanced down at her loopy calligraphic handwriting. She saw the problem.

‘Ah.’

The temptation was huge: to tell him it was a note just to say hello. As if reading her thoughts he said, with a broad grin, ‘You send me note sayink hello!’

She blinked. It was now or never. He didn’t seem threatening, despite his size.

‘Um . . .’

His face looked concerned suddenly. His thick eyebrows furrowed. Despite the beard, it was a very expressive face. She doubted he was much use in a game of poker.

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