Agreement

Siri looked at the visitor and marvelled at how young she was. The neighbour had looked much older the last time she saw her. Siri immediately packed the clothes and bag off the sofa to make space for them to sit. The room was neat except for pile of clothes and documents. She looked back and the lady stood at the door unsure of what to do and where to sit.

"Are you going to stand there all day?"

The neighbour shifted uncomfortably from one leg to the other looking around., lost in thought?

"Hey?'

Siri called out softly jolting the lady back to reality.

"Hi! Yeah, I hear you"

Her voice came out a little louder than necessary and she coughed and started again.

"Hi. Is this a good time?"

"Well, it isn't a bad time. Please sit."

"Thank you."

She walked to the sofa and perched at the edge quite uncomfortable yet not unhappy to be out of her house. Siri began neatly folding the clothes and putting them away and soon began to pack the papers and document into her office bag. This left a vacuum of silence which neither was enthusiastic to break.

"My name's Miranda."

Siri looked at her and smiled. The look of discomfort was almost somewhat amusing.

"My name's Siri. Nice to meet you girl. Can I get you anything? Soda? Coffee? Water?"

"I am quite alright. Thank you."

Siri finished the chore and walked over to sit on the couch with her at the far end. They looked like estranged sisters.

"So?"

"So, well, I wanted to talk to you ab-"

"How was your day?"

Siri interrupted throwing Miranda off-balance, confused about the interruption.

"Well, my day was fine."

"Oh, that's cool."

They both looked down

"Are you sure you don't need any drink?"

"Is there a bottle of Vodka?"

"How many shots would you like?"

Miranda looked at her incredulously and Siri shook her head.

"It was a joke. I don't drink"

"Oh?"

"Loosen up, will you?"

"Yeah sorry. I am not usually like this."

"I know"

"Excuse me?"

"I hear your voice loud and clear when he's around."

"Oh?"

Miranda turned red and looked away.

"I mean when you both disagree. What are you thinking?"

Siri gave her a weird look and marvelled at how easy it was to talk to her neighbour. She remembered the day Miranda first moved in. She looked like she wanted to be avoided and never looked at anyone in the eyes. Except her. She had always looked at her. She just never spoke to her.

On that day, when she saw Miranda with Ben, she was sure Miranda saw her. Siri walked past them into her apartment not saying a word to both her and Ben who helped her move in.

"Why are you blushing your roots out? What are you thinking of?"

"I wasn't thinking about anything."

The blood in your cheeks would disagree with you.

Miranda smiled a bit and Siri smiled back.

"You will make my mission here a little hard for me if you're going to be this nice."

"Well, I just wanted us to be relaxed before we spoke seriously, so please feel free to tell me about anything."

"Thank you. So, I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate what you did the other day but would prefer if it never happened again."

Miranda made the statement in one breath afraid that if she stopped she would loose the will to keep going. She looked up and was greeted with an indifferent stare. She looked more closely at the lady across from her and she admired how pretty she looked. Her hair was not straightened out but was nappy, long and curly. Her eyes were very beautiful and dark and her lips were full and pink. Her skin was fair but not like her own skin, it was a different rich hue.

"I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable but the sounds coming from your room that day made me feel very uncomfortable."

"Everything was fine."

"Was it?"

Siri wondered if she might have gone overboard but concluded that she didn't. She had heard them fight several times but the whimpering and thuds were unlike nothing she had ever heard.

"How's your brow?"

"I am fine."

"Are you? Look, I usually mind my business and try to stay out of people's way but what I heard that day was clearly violent. And I remembered seeing you bleeding."

"That was nothing I-"

"Ran into the door? Fell from the bed? Oh, come off it. I can recognize a case of domestic violence when I see one."

Miranda looked hurt and angry at the allegation, what gave this lady the right to seat there and act all older and responsible. They were about the same age or maybe she was older by only a couple of years.

"You don't know him."

"No, I don't. I don't know you either but I will not stand by and watch a neighbour get hurt when I could have done something."

"I understand your worries. But-"

Siri interrupted her explanation without mincing words, she could tell why Miranda was telling her off.

"Did he put you up to this?"

Miranda wondered if maybe she was older than she looked.

"How old are you?"

Miranda asked unable to hold back the urge any longer and throwing the conversation off.

"Twenty-three"

"I am twenty"

"That's good to know. You're an adult. So, you have to stand up for yourself."

"You don't know anything so don't lecture me."

"Is that what you think this is?"

Siri wondered if there was a way to talk to her calmly without hurting her pride. She never had a sibling so she did not have the experience required to handle the situation.

"I am not lecturing you. Like you pointed out I don't know you or him. I know its not my business."

"I am sorry. But if it happens that you're in danger I am sorry I won't sit back. How about you tell me what is really on your mind because I can sense that you've been through a lot."

Miranda wondered if maybe she was mocking her but she could not decipher what was going on behind the straight face. Siri seemed older than her years. More like a mother figure than a sister. She had seen first-hand how she cared for people around. She was not extroverted and hardly ever spoke a word outside of greetings and simple conversation but she was kind and people in the neighbourhood admired her. She broke down.

"I am sorry. I am not usually like this"

"No, hey, hey, did I say something to upset you?"

She stood up and went to the bathroom to get some tissue paper. When she returned Miranda was still sobbing.

"Take this please. I am sorry if I hurt you in any way, was it something I said?"

Siri looked at the young girl still sobbing and sat closer to her on the couch. She took her hands which felt warm and placed the tissue in it.

"I'm sorry, I'm not usually like this."

"I am not usually like this either, I don't know why I am trying so hard."

"I will tell you everything on another day for now I'll just give you the abridged version"

"Shoot."

Now that the floor was open Miranda did not know where to start. A lot had happened in the past year and she wondered if even the short version would not take up a lot of time. She looked down at her phone which read 10:20pm.

She should have come earlier she thought. It was not looking like a bad idea to have visited her to talk. She looked up at the clock in the house. Siri noticed the hesitation and encouraged her.

"Don't worry about the time. We live across each other; you're literally a stone throw away. Just tell me everything."

"I met Ben at a modelling gig last year. He told me he was a big-time manager and he would support me. This was after I left home."

The Pokerfaced stare egged her for continuity and she was grateful that Siri did not react in any way, for she was very sure she would have misunderstood any kind of stare whatsoever.

"Things were good for a couple of months and then he asked me if I would like us to be a thing. He seemed genuinely caring and interested so I said yes and he got me many jobs."

She paused for a while and cleared her throat which was parched and feeling dry. She wished she did not decline the offer for drinks.

"I am going to get myself a bottle of water, would you like one?"

"Yes please. Thank you."

Siri stood up and walked to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water and then she rinsed two cups. She set the cups on the table and poured in water, she gave one cup to Miranda and sipped from the other cup.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She waited for Miranda to continue after they had both finished drinking.

"I don't know if I should be telling you all these when we hardly know each other."

"It's up to you to tell me. And if you don't feel comfortable, I won't force you. But I can write up a nondisclosure agreement if that would make you feel better. I don't have any friends here so I won't be gossiping about you and I am busy with work so-"

"I get it. I get it."

Siri noticed another tiny smile wrinkle its way out and pass briefly across Miranda's lips.

"You're pretty easy to talk to."

"So I hear. From my grandmother. Would you want anything else?"

"No I am fine."

There was another long pause and each of them settled in comfortably, grateful for the growing friendship and uncertain about how it would work out.

"The falling out began when I refused to join some of the girls as hostesses in parties. I did not like the arrangement and I told him. Oh, you should have seen him that day. He made it seem like I was being hypocritical. I was not about to sleep with strange people for favours and it upset him."

"Is he a pimp or something!? How dare he propose you sleep around! That's crazy!?

Siri spoke out feeling riled up and angered by the ridiculousness of the situation and had to apologize for interrupting. The smile on Miranda's face lingered longer.

"I am sorry for interrupting. I hate it when people try to take advantage of other people."

"No it's fine. I am happy you reacted. I was beginning to think you were an android or something."

Siri laughed at the comment and Miranda joined in, they both sank more deeply into the sofa.

"Oh please, I think I keep a serious face when the matter is serious but I laugh when things are funny. I have been told that I am empathetic and I have a good sense of humour".

"You're much older than your age."

"Wait till you're my age, so continue"

"Where was I?"

Both of them started talking at once till they arrived at the exact point she stopped at.

"Yes yes, he called me hypocritical and suddenly stopped getting jobs for me and threatened other agents to stay away from me. I felt, what's the word, "pimped out" but I was already in this mess and I love him. I really do. I-"

Miranda's voice trailed off as Siri thought hard and deep, she had never had to give advice for relationship issues so she did not want to say the wrong things.

"Siri?"

"Uhm yeah. I was lost in thought. I have one question for now. How can you still love him when he hits you consistently?"

"He doesn't do it all the time and sometimes I am at fault. I really say some provocative things. Besides he always apologizes after. Unlike my-"

Miranda stopped mid-sentence and looked away. But Siri was not about to let that vital piece of information slip.

"Unlike who?"

"No one."

Miranda, talk to me"

"I said no one!"

Siri sighed exasperatedly and began.

"I just want to help"

"I am sorry. It's late and I have to go."

"Miranda"

"I don't need your help or sympathy. I just want to be left alone."

"Okay, okay. Let's just rest for tonight. We're both tired so its fine."

Miranda stood up and looked at Siri. She remembered the last time she told her mother about Donald. She was not about to go through another heartache. Siri stood up to walk her to the door.

"Goodnight Mimi"

Miranda shuddered

"Don't ever call me that!"

And with that she stormed off slamming but doors hard. Siri sat back on the sofa and exhaled. She wanted to go to her and her door and apologize but feeling exhauated she lay back and promised to check on her. She fell asleep immediately she closed her eyes.