The Balcony

I stepped out to the balcony, and saw her.

She was standing by the railing, smoking. She calmly remarked, "Cold night, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is. Autumn is coming."

She exhaled, "How are things?"

I shrugged, "It's ok. Nothing fantastic, but nothing bad either."

"That's good, isn't it? Sometimes it's good to have some peace. Some quietness."

"But sometimes the silence can be deafening."

"True," She conceded, nodding her head as she shook off the ash.

" Do you feel alone sometimes? I mean really, really, really very alone. As though the world has abandoned you."

She considered my question, exhaling yet another stream of smoke before replying in a measured tone, "It is my only company sometimes."

I did not say a word. Neither did she seem to expect an answer from me. To her, perhaps I hadn't even heard it, lost in my own thoughts. Maybe she was lost in her own words too. We were just two people who happened to be at the same place at the same time. At that moment in time, our two worlds had brushed against each other, with the balcony as the tangent.

"It's cold, I am going in," she finally said.

"Uh," I said, still staring out at the night sky.

"By the way," she said at my door.

"Hmm?"

"I am moving out at the end of the month."

"Why?" I turned to face her.

She smiled and shrugged, "No particular reason. I guess I just need a change of environment. Never could stay in one place for long."

"I see."

"Oh well, good night," she said before going back into her room.

**

She was again sitting on her chair smoking when I went out to the balcony to hang my laundry to dry.

She watched me as I went about my routine.

"Doing laundry can be therapeutic," I said, to break the silence.

I stole a glance at her. She was looking at the cigarette between her fingers, the other elbow on her knee, her upturned palm propping up her chin.

Her eyes shifted from the cigarette to me; she had caught me staring at her. She raised an eyebrow, and her eyes were somewhat smiling as she asked, "For what do you need therapy?"

I looked away. It was that same expression from long ago.

You know, cooking can be therapeutical.

She looked up from her laptop screen, her face never leaving her upturned palm. Her eyes were twinkling as she asked, "Why do you need therapy?"

I spread the bedsheet, draping it over the line, adjusting it until I was satisfied. "We all need a little break, a little relief from this world sometimes."

She smiled and nodded, "True."

We didn't say another word for a while.

"We didn't really get to know each other, right? Even though we have been neighbours for a while," she said suddenly.

"Yeah. I guess we both have been busy with our own stuff."

"Maybe we should start getting to know each other better."

"But we are running out of time," I said.

She bit her lip, seemingly in deep thought. "That's true," she finally said.

She was leaving the day after tomorrow.

**

I heard three knocks on the door leading to the balcony. I pulled aside the curtain and smiled when I saw her at the balcony.

"All packed and ready to go?" I asked as I opened the door.

"Yeah, the delivery people just came to get my stuff. My room is an empty shell now."

"I know that feeling. The night before you move out, when you have sent away all your stuff, the room somehow doesn't feel like yours anymore."

"That's true."

We had dinner together, after which, we sat on my couch, staring into blank space, listening to some random music that was playing on my laptop.

"It's good to be like this, isn't it? Just sitting here, doing nothing, enjoying the presence of each other. Makes you wish you could do it more often, you could change your lifestyle a little," she paused, before continuing, "Maybe let someone in."

I didn't say a word.

We sat like this for a while more. Then, I suddenly felt a weight on my shoulder. I tilted my head slightly. Her head was resting on my shoulder, her eyes closed.

"I should have met you earlier," she whispered, barely audible. " Maybe I would have stayed."

After a while, she sat up straight again. I remained motionless.

She got up, "It's time for me to get going."

"Oh," I said, somewhat startled. I hurriedly got to my feet and accompanied her to the door leading out to the balcony.

"Goodbye," she said at the door, smiling. "Thanks for the meal."

"Will I see you again?"

Her smile grew and she looked away before turning to face me again. "Maybe. Ask me out for drinks sometime."

I nodded, "I will."

"Goodnight," she said, meeting my gaze. Then, she turned and stepped deftly around and back into her bare room.

**

The sound of a key being turned in a lock woke me from my slumber. The sound of a door opening. Some banging noises. I smiled with my eyes still closed.

I opened my eyes. Something wasn't right. I reached for my phone. 10 in the morning. I got up from my bed and opened the door to the balcony, sticking my head out.

The chair was there.

Her door opened. A young girl's head popped out, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw this guy staring at her. She somewhat recovered to stick out her hand and introduced herself.

I shook it, without really paying attention to her enthusiastic chatter.

She was gone.

She was really gone.

Later on, as I was listening to the same songs from the day before, a thought suddenly struck me. I reached for my phone and scrolled quickly through the contact list. I flipped my phone shut and tossed it onto my bed, and leaned back on my chair, somewhat in disbelief.

Her door opened, and the girl stepped out. She leaned against the balcony, smiling to herself.

My door was ajar; I always left it ajar. But unlike before, the smell of the cigarette smoke which I had gotten used to did not waft into my room as anticipated.

It had disappeared into this big city.

It's my only company sometimes.