Time to go
I’ll wait for you downstairs, said Andrea, closing the door.
She shouted her agreement from the bathroom with the water running. She had to sort out the things in her small overnight bag. She did it slowly, without enthusiasm, she didn’t want to leave again.
She closed the bag impatiently but she hadn’t finished yet. She went to the window that looked out onto a wide street lined with trees. People were strolling along as if it were Sunday, it was actually a holiday, just that she didn’t know this.
She threw everything open and the room was filled with freshness. She saw the curtain blow up like a small sail and then she let herself be thrown onto the bed by an imaginary gust of wind. She lay still with her arms open and her eyes facing the painted ceiling while the phone rang and the wind got stronger and stronger to the point where it made her feel cold.
When she realised she was shivering, she closed the window and naturally stood looking out of it again because it was the logical thing to do. She caught sight of a man walking away from the hotel. He was wearing a special hat that she had seen many times and that froze her face instantly.
She rested her hand on the glass for a short while, then went to the bathroom and splashed water on her face.
She left the room in a rush and while picking up her scarf from the bedside table, something fell and broke into pieces. Without even turning round, she ran straight to the lift while the phone in the room rang and rang, persistently in her mind.