A New Life in Lisbon

Tomás is in Lisbon for three weeks. He is very tired. He works long hours, and he walks up the steep streets every day. The trams are noisy. The hills are hard. Dinner is at ten o’clock.

His new colleagues are friendly. Slowly, the office is OK for him. At first, the long lunch is strange. Now he likes it. “You will be fine,” says Beatriz. “Even with the trams.”

On Friday evening, Tomás sits by the window and writes to his sister. “I finish my first month this week,” he writes. “Next week I fly to Madrid, and I sleep in my old room.” He smiles. Then he deletes the last sentence. Madrid is not the only home now.

Then he writes about his plans. “In June, I speak a little Portuguese. Next year, I have a good flat with a balcony.”

He presses send and closes the laptop. Outside, a tram goes up the hill. For the first time in weeks, Tomás does not look for the way back. He listens. The city sounds almost familiar.