Page 267 - harryDEC12_clean.iba

I fitted the profile, of the person they were looking for co-habitation. And then there was Lian Sophia. Lian said she was Mexican, working as an expert for skin care at Sylvie's parlor, temporarily.
She was special a young woman in her early twenties. It turned out that she was of Mexican-Jewish descendant. Borne in Mexico and raised in Tel A Viv. I was fascinated by her from the first moment I set my eyes on her and her presence made me nervous. It was not only her looks, her beautiful hazelnut hair, her lean body and her smile — her brilliant brown eyes surrounded by ever so slightly slanted eyelids — no it was something else, which made the difference. She was extremely polite, professionally polite and charming, but I instantly felt that there was more behind her pretty facade a depth of mind and passion that she was not at ease to share lightly with anybody. She radiated an inner strength and wisdom not befitting her age. I felt the overwhelming urge to get to know her closer, what I tried to hide as good as I could.
After a brief conversation we opened a bottle of wine and spoke about the „house rules“. Each of them washed their own crockery and cutlery; the laundry was collected once a week, a contribution was made to the common account for washing and polishing materials and for soft drinks that were regularly delivered. Apart from that there were no restrictions, except that some discretion and consideration were called for if one or the other brought someone home at night. I liked the flat, and my spacious room too, so we shook hands and wished for good co-habitation. In the firm I told them only that I had changed my flat. That it was a shared flat I kept to myself. I wanted to keep that part of my life to myself. On the other hand, in the shared flat I told them little about my work and my experiences on my constant trips.
Even if my frequent absences were noticed I was rarely asked about that. I always brought my flatmates some little things from other countries, and they were accepted with great joy, and made me popular. Here I had landed in another world with people who were en route via other life paths, but just that appealed to me. I moved into the flat two weeks later, set myself up, and enjoyed the fact that when I came home in the evening one or other of the people were there to have a conversation on trivialities or agonies of the soul.
We got on well together and noticed that I had none of the otherwise common arrogance of City people, as we called it. That they attributed to my origins; I had not gone to school at Eton and my intonation was normal English. We assured me that I had in the meantime lost my accent, and that flattered me.
More and more I made it a habit to come home early when I knew that Lian was there, because I knew her working time. Then I sat down with her in front of the fireplace and spoke about life, politics and religion - she a Jew and I - almost a Pagan.
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