The Flat (Book 4 of Nanima Series): Paperboy (Chapters 1 to 2)

Here is the beginning of The Flat (Book 4 of the Nanima Series).

PAPERBOY

Chapter 1: Happy Dreams

“Happy dreams,” said Luna as he opened the bedroom door for Iggy to enter. 

“Sleep well,” said Maliyan as she headed for the bathroom. 

“I will,” said Luna. “The night is so quiet at your house that I feel like I’m in a cocoon.”

He was used to the hustle and bustle, traffic and horns, yelling and late-night laughing of inner-city life.

At the end of his Christmas holiday break, Luna was ready to tell Maliyan that he never left for the northern city and was still in the southern one near her. When he initially decided to move back north, he gave notice on his flat. By the time he decided that he was no longer going, his flat had been leased to someone else, so he was homeless. Maliyan offered him her spare room, assuming he wouldn’t take it. He did take it. The last time they lived together was summer, two years ago, in Nanima, in the shophouse of Luna Tiks.

Chapter 2: Still Alive

In his first week of living in The Flat, Luna visited every cafe in town. He was unimpressed by all, some more than others. The Flat didn’t have a happening cafe like Sonder in Black Forest. Its cafes were conventional country ones, at best, clean, pleasant, and running smoothly. None had a vibe—not the vibe that suited Luna. 

The worst one was Paperboy. It had become old and worn long ago, as had its owner, who was an original paperboy from the area when there was no freeway. The disgruntled man, in his mid-seventies, took a shine to Luna. He was won over when Luna decided to have his coffee at one of the tables and listened to some of his worn-out stories. Luna knew which jokes the man would like—rough and ready, crass and offensive—and that clinched it.

As he left, Luna said, “I’ve been a cafe owner myself. It’s a hard slog.”

The paperboy mumbled to himself and then looked hard at his new mate.

“Well, matey, if ever you feel like getting back into it, let me know,” said the paperboy. “Before I die, I want to visit Italy. It’s been a life-long dream, but if I don’t do it soon, my time will be done.”

Luna looked around the cafe with its peeling wallpaper and empty seats. He noticed that the coffee machine was new. The paperboy’s eyes, sharper than what he gave away, tracked Luna’s gaze and faint interest. 

His energy picked up, and he said, “The old one broke. I had to get a new one. Look, buddy, if you are interested, you could have the place for six months for next to nothing and make of it what you can. Then I could go to Italy, and it would still be alive when I return, that is, if I’m still alive.”

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