The books on the shelves across the landing brought colour to the whitewashed walls of the flat. On this side the stairs fell away in a straight line to the front door below. A skylight let sun into the middle of the landing where the couple stood staring. It was very hot. The voile covering the open window in the box room barely moved.

‘Where do you want to start?’ the girl asked. She sat down, cross-legged on the floor.

‘It won’t be easy,’ the man said.

‘And it’s so hot.’

‘I need a beer. You want one?’

‘Have we any of the big ones?’

‘I’ll go see.’

The guy brought two bottles of Spanish beer and handed one to the girl. She looked up at him and he looked down at her. Taking a swig, he shook his head.

‘So many white elephants.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Nothing. I need something stronger.’

‘It’s only midday.’

‘I know.’

‘What will you drink?’

‘There’s still some Chinchón from holiday.’

‘Not sure I can face it.’

‘You could cut it with blackcurrant.’

‘What’s that like?’

‘All right.’

‘Okay.’

‘Here.’

‘It tastes like those sweets,’ the girl said and put the glass down on the floor beside her.

‘Yep, it’s all about the sweets these days.’

‘Oh wow,’ said the girl, ‘that again. Like the expensive rum you bought last week.’

‘Really? My one treat.’

‘Poor First World you.’

‘Wow!’

‘You started it,’ the girl said, ‘I’m actually trying to focus on the task in hand.’

‘Ok, let’s do that, then.’

‘Well, I would if I knew what you meant by white elephants.’

‘Just forget I said it.’

‘No, no. Out with it!’

‘I just meant they look a bit like white elephants.’

‘What? How?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘No, no. You’re trying to be clever.’

‘Ok, they don’t look like white elephants,’ he said, ‘I just meant there’s a lot of books.’

‘Which is why we’re getting rid of some.’

‘You want another drink?’

‘All right.’

The voile stirred in the window frame.

‘Such good beer in this heat.’

‘Yeh.’

‘Why don’t we just sell them all, Jen,’ the guy said, ‘then we’d have a lot more space. Simple.’

The girl said nothing, though her mouth hung open.

‘There are book dealers. They’d come round and take them away. Then we’d have space.’

‘You can’t be serious?’ she said, ‘they’re my babies.’

‘They’re getting in the way.’

The girl looked toward the window. ‘Then what?’

‘It would be easier to move and some of them might be worth a bit.’

She got up and walked to the window, putting her hand out to touch the voile.

‘So my happiness counts for nothing?’

‘Everyone reads on kindles these days.’

‘I like the feel of a book.’

‘You’ll get used to it. I know loads of people who swear by them.’

‘So do I. They do seem happy enough.’

‘Look. I’m not saying you have to. If it’s too much. But maybe it’s for the best.’

‘You want them gone?’

‘They’re simply taking up too much space. But it has to be your decision.’

‘Yes, but it will make you happy.’

‘I’m happy either way.’

‘Really?’

‘What? Yes.’

‘With me, I mean?’

‘Of course. What are you saying? They’re just books. Words on a page.’

‘Or white elephants.’

‘I just meant there are lots you don’t read. And all those old ones are free on Kindle.’

‘Fine, then. This isn’t about me anyway.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I’ll do it. They’re only memories.’

‘Wait. If it means that much.’

‘White elephants, like you say.’

‘I didn’t mean it that way. Let’s just forget it.’

The girl parted the voile and stared out the window. Across, on the other side of the narrow city street, a delivery driver had pulled up. He removed a large package from the back of the van. She heard the bell through the window but no one came to the door. He dropped it on the step and took a photo with his phone.

‘Comings and goings,’ she said. ‘Parcels in, parcels out.’

‘What did you say?’

‘I said I guess it’s for the best.’

‘Yes, for the best.’

‘No, it isn’t.’

‘What?’

‘No, it isn’t.’

‘Yes, it is.’

‘No, it isn’t.’

‘They won’t be in the way anymore.’

‘I’m not so sure.’

‘Not if they’re gone.’

‘We’ll just have to see.’

‘Come back in here,’ he said, ‘you haven’t finished your beer. Why are you talking so strange?’

‘I’m not talking strange. I’m just saying how it is.’

‘Hey, I’ve said not to get rid of them if you -’

‘Don’t want to,’ she said, ‘I know. Get us another beer, will you?’

‘All right. But you’ve got to -’

‘I get it,’ the girl said, ‘Let’s just change the subject.’

They sat down in the lounge and the girl looked at the window and the man looked at her and at his drink.

‘All I’m saying,’ he said, ‘is don’t do it if you don’t want to.’

‘But you want me to.’

‘Not if you don’t want to.’

‘But you want me to want to because that’s what you want.’

‘What? You’re making it complicated. It’s simple.’

‘Simple for you.’

‘No. Just simple simple.’

‘Yeh. Could you do us a favour?’

‘Of course.’

‘Please. Just. Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Please.’

The guy said nothing, though his mouth hung open. He sat staring at the whitewashed walls and then at the coloured spines of his computer games.

‘Just forget I even mentioned it,’ he said. ‘If I’d known how you were going -’

‘I’ll scream,’ the girl said.

They sat for five minutes in silence before he left the lounge. She could hear him getting another drink in the kitchen.

‘Make me one, too,’ the girl said.

He drank directly from the bottle a couple of times before pouring new drinks. It was a while before he returned to the lounge. She was standing at the window. When he gave her the glass she smiled at him. He parted the voile to view the world beyond. Nothing was out of place.

‘Are you feeling ok?’ he asked.

‘Yeh, I’m ok,’ she said. ‘Ok.’

With thanks to Winston Malone for the spark...

The Storyletter

Storyletter Prompt: Flip a Common Trope

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2 months ago · 14 likes · 17 comments · Winston Malone

Flipped a story instead.

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Photo [edited]: Aneta Pawlik, Unsplash