by Cheryl Brand

Created on: December 10, 2010   Last Updated: December 28, 2010

Julia glanced at her suitcase packed and ready at the front door and realized that it would for ever be a symbol to her of leaving her family home. 

She started out on foot to try to find a place to live.  As she came upon town, where the bakery shop was, she stopped at the first store that she came to:  which happened to be a clothes boutique.  She saw beautiful clothes in it that she could never afford, but that didn't stop her from going in.  She walked in demurely and heard a bell  behind her that was fixed to the door>  It rang a very happy little chime which seemed to mock her current disposition.  She reached up her long slender arms to close the door behind her with her only free hand awkwardly.  Pulling her suitcase in behind her, she asked the shopkeeper standing behind the counter if she knew anywhere that that she could rent .   "Come on in and I will make you a cup of tea"  the shopkeeper said.  Over a hot cup of tea served in fragile china tea cups and saucers etched with tiny red tea roses Julia told her story of having to move out of her family home.  This lady of about thirty-two years old said "I have a loft to rent, it will be 4 pounds a week, can you spend that much on rent?".  It was a loft in the top third of a at least a hundred-year old house.  The loft was at the top of the building more like an attic, the lady's  apartment was in the next third down, and then the bottom was the dress boutique.  Julia would be able to afford the rent due to that she had just started a second job working at the hotel .  Julia said  "When can I move in?"   The shopkeeper answered "as soon as you want".  Julia put her suitcase down carefully as if to not damage the floor with the weight of it .  Then the shopkeeper and Julia went back down to the sitting-room and finished their tea.  .  

All Julia had to do now was unpack her suitcase and try to make this place home.

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