You Are Just A Guest

Anne Felix’s Blog

18th October

So we moved in to our new house today. Our first home as a married couple. We didn’t get off to the best start; we didn’t finish unloading everything from the truck until half-six, so now we’ll be charged for another day. Jon said something about it being an omen and I told him not to be so silly.

Anyway, the house. It’s not an impressive looking place. The brickwork was white once upon a time. Now it’s a tired grey with brown and black stains. It’s crumbling, too, which I hadn’t noticed before. The little gravel garden is completely overgrown, grass and weeds and all sorts. Lord knows what’s lurking in there. The front door sticks to the point that we almost needed to build a rudimentary battering-ram. Though Jon probably would have enjoyed that.

My first words when we stepped inside were, “It’s so empty.” I think it’s the bare wooden flooring and the fact the landlady didn’t provide curtains. Our footsteps are loud, echoing things, bouncing off bare walls and naked windows. The floorboards creak and groan, too, as if protesting against our weight. It made me miss the flat, and for a moment I wanted to turn around and go back.

We’ve piled up all the furniture, boxes and what-not and left it huddled in the middle of the living room. The only thing we’ve done is build the bed, so we’ve got somewhere to sleep. Right now we’re lying on it, waiting for our pizza to arrive. The bedroom seemed cosy before – “dark and snuggly”, Jon called it – but it seems unfriendly and sparse compared to our old room. The light doesn’t seem to reach all the way into the corners, nooks and crannies.

I’m just tired. It’ll all seem better in the morning.

* * *

Jon Felix’s Twitter Feed

lovetherunning New house! Woot!!!

11:21 PM Oct 18th

* * *

Anne Felix’s Blog

19th October

It doesn’t seem all better. Had the worst night’s sleep. I kept waking up, always with the feeling that something had woken me but I didn’t know what. So I woke up this morning tired and grumpy. Jon wasn’t much better, especially when I told him sorting the kitchen was our first priority.

“Why don’t you do the kitchen and I’ll do the living room?” he asked.

“Because I’ll spend all day trying to make a place we can cook in, and you’ll spend all day setting up your video games, rather than making a place we can sit and relax in.”

He talks a lot about how his games are his way of relaxing, and that’s fine and all, but I like to relax with a book and I’m not unboxing them yet, am I?

Anyway. The kitchen needed a lot of work. I don’t think the last tenants had heard of mops. All the surfaces were covered in a fine film of greasy grime. Pretty disgusting. And when we were nearly finished Jon noticed a smell. I don’t know how I missed it, but there’s a smell like decay or something. Talk about rain on your parade. Still, we got all the pots and pans where they should be, and despite being tired and sweaty Jon cooked a nice meal and did the washing-up too!

This house is going to be great. It just needs some time.

* * *

Jon Felix’s Twitter Feed

lovetherunning new house less wooty today. cleaning all day!! Almost can’t wait to go back to work!!

8:11 PM Oct 19th