The Society

Chapter 17: The Move Part I

The Move - Cassie Cassadaga

The sun was shining through my window, after another eventful week I was spending Saturday morning in bed. I had just spilled some jam from my toast on the leg of my pyjamas trousers when I hear a knock on the door. I rushed over to open it with a napkin in my hand, gently patting at the stain.

“Oh dear, we might have to get some hot water on that stain,” Mrs. Duchan clucked with her tongue against her bottom teeth disapprovingly and as a whirlwind she blew in through the door. A couple of moment later I was sitting reclined in one of my kitchen chairs, my feet across Mrs. Duchan’s lap as she was padding hot water soaked cloth on the stain.

“So Cassie sweetie pie, I just came over to see how you are? It’s been a couple of eventful weeks for you hasn’t it?”

I looked at her. I am constantly surprised with how in tune Mrs. Duchan is with what is going on. “Yeah, I guess that it has been. How do you know Mrs. Duchan?”

She chuckled underneath her breath, as if the question I had asked was extremely self-explanatory, “I can see it on your face, Cassie sweetie pie. When you have a lot on your mind it shows.”

The room fell into silence. Mrs. Duchan may be one of the nosiest neighbours in the history of time, but ultimately she did care and knew when not to push a situation.

Maybe there are some things I can ask her advice on without revealing the whole story? “Mrs. Duchan?”

She looked back at me, having spent the last minute or so staring into space, “Yes, Cassie sweetie pie?”

“I have had a couple of quite eventful weeks. My father, who I haven’t seen since I was very little has just recently come back into my life.”

She read my facial expressions before she replied, “And this may be problematic?” She is very tactful, something that I haven’t noticed too often in her before.

I continued, “In a way yes. He’s been very opinionated in regards to where I live. He doesn’t feel like this neighbourhood is too safe. He suggested that I should move to the Upper East Side…”

“And you certainly don’t want to?”

I guess I haven’t really considered it, all I have considered is the fact that I don’t want him to be right. “I don’t know. I don’t think that I would be comfortable in that neighbourhood. Plus the only way I would be able to afford it would be if I allowed him to pay my rent…”

“Ah, you don’t feel comfortable with his suggestion or losing your independence?” I nodded. “Cassie sweetie pie, don’t think I haven’t heard the neighbourhood gossiping about you getting mugged.” I had conveniently forgotten to bring this up with Mrs. Duchan. I just didn’t want her to worry. Why do I even bother hiding things from her? It’s not like she’s not going to find out anyway… “Maybe it would be good for you to look at some options?” I looked at her, not quite sure that I had actually heard her correctly. I was so attached to her and this apartment it would be hard to see myself living anywhere else. “It’s not that I don’t love having you here Cassie sweetie pie. But you do work very long hours and walk home when it’s dark. It’s not safe and I worry about you Cassie sweetie pie.”

If she only knew all of the reasons as to why it’s not safe for me to live here… “So what should I do? I don’t want to take my father advice but at the same time I can see why it might be more convenient to live a little bit closer to the office…” That’s at least an excuse that I can live with…

“How about this Cassie sweetie pie, you could find something on Manhattan but more in your price range. Something where maybe you only need a small contribution for your father?”