andromeda // matty healy au

Norwegian Wood

This morning Rhonda stopped by and gave me an box of biscuits, as a thank-you for staying late last night.  They were about 20 minutes later than they said they would be, but she had the biggest smile on her face, so I couldn't stay mad at them. They buscuits were made with oatmeal, which was another thing I couldn't hold a grudge over.

I ate one with my cup of coffee.  It was a still Sunday, and not much had happened in the small hours of the morning.  Until a buzz on my intercom.

"Hello, I have a package for C. Blanchard," said a scratchy voice from the speaker. Yes! It had finally arrived! I rushed over to reply and cheerily said that I would be down in a moment.

I didn't bother grabbing shoes as I bolted out my door, leaving my coffee on the kitchen counter. My bare feet slapped against the concrete steps as my robe floated behind me like a cape. At the ground floor I was blotting sweat from my forehead.  I must have been extremely excited because I received a strange look from the man delivering my package. He cocked an eyebrow at me as he handed me the slip I had to sign.

"Thank you so much," I squealed, "have a wonderful day!" The man handed me the box and then turned on his heel and gave a small wave to me over his shoulder. It's here!

Running up the steps again, I was excited to rip the seal. I grabbed a pair of scissors from my drawer and sliced the tape and down the sides of the lid.  The box flaps flew open at my eager hands. Inside, a bright blue parcel laid amongst the paper padding. 

I pulled it out to reveal a gift for Mr.Perry. A set of noise cancelling headphones, they hook right up to the telly, and you can watch movies into the evenings with no interruptions. It's the perfect gift for the man who doesn't want to be interrupted when he turns on late-night movies.

I was giddy as I placed the box in a gift bag and practically jumped out of my flat once again, stopping outside the door one level below me. Three knocks and the door opened. My Perry stood before me, in a big fluffy bathrobe and a  pair of old slippers.

"I heard you upstairs, that's why I'm up," he said bluntly. I stumbled out an apology, but he didn't care and then asked me what I wanted.

"I have a gift for you, a way to say 'I'm sorry for being so loud'." I said as I thrusted the bag towards him.

"And I see it's very elegantly wrapped in a liquor store bag." He chuckled and took the bag from my outstretched hand.  Carefully, his hands pulled out the box. His brows knitted together but I couldn't contain my excitement.

"It's a pair of noise-cancelling headphones that you can connect to your telly!" I said. "and look! You get a bonus pair of earplugs! You can use them while you sleep." I beamed at him. Mr.Perry looked at me with wide eyes, but he refused to give away his feelings yet. Then his face cracked into a child-like grin.

"Thank you," he spoke with a soft voice, despite his jubilation, "this is perfect. Would you mind helping me set it up?" He looked up at me with pleading eyes.

"Of course, Mr.Perry." I smiled as he opened the door and I stepped into his flat.

-

After I had followed the instructions, the headphones were up and running. Mr.Perry placed a warm mug of Orange Pekoe on the antique side table next to the couch.

"You know," he broke the silence, "my wife had a lovely, but loud, voice. I loved hearing her speak because it felt like she was the only one in the room with me." He smiled at me as he moved towards the soft couch. I sat on the floor, still around the remnants of the pieces of the box and the instructions manual. As I gazed around his living room, I noticed that she was everywhere. Mr. Perry looked to be quite the artist, as he had taken photos of her in different places and even drawn her. "Edith was really something," he said.

"She looks like it," I said, still looking at the photos. She reminded of Princess Diana, she looked very regal and kind, with shiny doll eyes. She looked as if she  gave soft hugs. "You must have done everything together."

"Yes, we travelled together for about fifty five years. Our last trip together was to the Santiago de Compostela," he pointed to a photo above the television, and I got to my feet so I could see it better. Edith faced away from the camera, and Mr.Perry had snapped a photo of her looking at a lavish cathedral. I turned back to see that Mr.Perry had settled on the sofa and then gestured to the large, hand-drawn portrait he had done of Edith by the front door.

"I drew that one in the 80s," he said,  reaching for his tea again, "That was before she got sick again." I examined the picture.  It was a clean white sheet of paper, covered in small dots. The pointillism revealed her soft curls and heart-shaped face.

"She's beautiful." I said, without looking away from her likeness. Edith really was a pretty woman. "How long have you been without her?"

"She passed away six years ago," he said softly. His hands shook as he placed the cup of tea on the side table, "and I miss her more and more each day."

I couldn't help but think of my mother when I saw Edith. I missed my mum a bit, but I wasn't aching like Mr.Perry. He had not only lost his wife, he lost his companion.

"I'm just thankful she isn't suffering anymore, she was in and out of hospital for a very long portion of her life." There was a photo next to his warm mug and he picked it up.  He held it close to his chest as he reminisced. Holding the gold frame, he continued. "The cancer came back about half a year before he passed away."

"I'm so sorry, Mr.Perry." I didn't know what else I could say.

"It's alright," he said. "I really appreciate the headphones you've given me, though. Edith was a very light sleeper, and whenever I would watch the late night hosts, she would always wake up." He smiled slightly, but his eyes glazed over a bit.

I spent the next few minutes telling him how to work his new device. Even though we had a heart-to-heart just a few moment ago, he was very eager to try it out. After about ten minutes, he placed his hand on my shoulder and told me how thankful he was.

"Now I can actually get things done because I won't hear you stomping above me!" we both laughed. "Thank you, Celeste."

"It's no problem at all." I smiled, and with that, I slipped outside and walked back up to my flat.

And I didn't have to worry about how loud my steps were once I got inside.