A New Life in Lisbon

Tommy arrived in Lisbon three weeks earlier. Now he felt very tired. He worked long hours, and he walked a lot in the old town every day. The noisy trams, the hills and dinner at ten o’clock still felt strange.

His new colleagues were friendly, and slowly the office began to feel normal. At first, the long lunch breaks seemed strange. Now he liked them. “Everything will feel easier soon,” Rebecca told him. “Even the trams.”

On Friday evening, he sat by the window and wrote to his sister. “I will finish my first month here this week,” he typed. “Next week I’ll fly to Boston, and I’ll sleep in my old room.” He smiled and deleted the last sentence. Boston was no longer the only place he called home.

Then he wrote about his plans. “In June, I’ll know enough Portuguese to follow a conversation. Next year, I’ll speak Portuguese at work, and I want to save enough money for a flat with a balcony.”

He pressed send and closed the laptop. Outside, a tram went up the hill. For the first time in weeks, he was not looking for the way back. He was just listening, and the city sounded almost familiar.