Visitors | part 1 – Camilla

9 AM
Bright light filtering through hazy glass
An ordinary hallway and an ordinary door
Behind the door is an ordinary apartment
Behind the door, a creature in no way ordinary
I don’t know what to expect
I never know what he will be like
I wonder what has brought me back here every morning for the past two weeks

Key slide
Thunk of the bolt throwing
Open door

Apartment
Today the blinds are open
Instinctively my eyes drop to the floor
The corners of the space, and where the walls meet the floor
But he’s there, sitting on the couch
Dressed
Damp hair
I inhale
His eyes are elsewhere
Slowly they move to me
– Hi Jody.
— Cam.
His voice is quiet
Turn and close the door

He hasn’t unplugged the fridge
It’s been a whole week, he probably won’t again
That means I have extra fruit that I brought with me, but at least it will keep now
Yoghurt from the fridge
Milk
Cereal
– Have you eaten?
— Um.
I finish the small bowl of yoghurt I’d poured for myself
Start on the cereal
Jody gets up
Walks to the kitchen
I stop chewing
He pauses by the counter
Looks to the side at the fridge
Turns towards me
His eyes slowly move across the kitchen
I put the bowl down
– Joe?
He looks at me
– Joe?
My voice is quiet
I walk towards him
He seems to see me for the first time
Lifts an arm, touches my face
— Are you sure…
I take his free hand in mine
– What?
— Maybe you shouldn’t be here.
He moves his head, searches the room again
– Why?
He opens his mouth
– Why shouldn’t I be here Jody?
— This must be like a prison, this house, these…
I don’t know what he’s trying to say
— Let’s go.
– Alright. Where do you want to go?
— Anywhere. Somewhere you want to go. Shopping, movies, anything.
I don’t understand
– Alright. Alright Joe.