A Place to Live

Maya's kitchen table, Saturday morning, laptop open

The URGENT email had kept her up half the night. It turned out to be good news, though: the director wanted her on a new project, starting Monday. Relieved, she opened her laptop to look for a flat near the office.

First she had to find out which neighbourhoods she could afford on a starter's salary, somewhere she wouldn't deal with a ninety-minute commute every day.

A small first-floor flat, midday, with Lena

Lena: It's tiny, but the rent's low. The heating's broken, though, so get the landlord to look into that before you sign anything.

Lena: Either way, smart girl. The pay's tight at first, but you'll get by — most newcomers do.

A week later, heating fixed and contract signed, Maya carried in her first box. For the first time, the city felt a little like home.