A Box at the Door

Emma was making tea when she heard a delivery driver in the hall. A minute later, she opened her door and found a brown box on the floor. The address was almost right, but the name was not hers.

The label said “Mr Payne, flat 3B.” Emma lived in 3A, next to flat 3B. While she was reading the label, rain was coming through the open window in the hall, so she did not want to leave the box outside.

She picked up the box, walked one step to the next door, and knocked. A man with tired eyes opened it. While he was talking, Emma saw suitcases, books, and a lamp without a shade behind him.

“I think this is yours,” Emma said. Mr Payne looked relieved. “I was carrying boxes upstairs when the driver left,” he explained. “I moved in this morning. My name is not on the door yet. Perhaps the driver read 3A, not 3B.”

Before Emma returned to her flat, he asked her about the nearest supermarket. She was giving him directions when the kettle began to whistle in her kitchen. They laughed, and she promised to talk again later.