An Argument About Nothing

Nadia and Joy were sisters. They shared a small flat with one bathroom and a very small kitchen. The kitchen had room for one person, or for two friendly ones.

Usually they got on well. They cooked together on Sundays and watched films that nobody else liked. Their rules were simple, and usually the rules worked well.

On Friday Nadia came home at seven. She worked a long shift at the hospital and she was very tired. Her feet hurt and she wanted ten quiet minutes on the sofa.

In the sink she found a pan with old egg in it. It stood there since the morning. Maybe longer. Next to it stood a plate, a knife and half a cup of coffee.

"Joy," she called, "the pan again. We have an agreement. You cook, I wash up. Not this." She said it fast, and the words sounded harder than she meant.

Joy came out of her room. "I'm going to do it later," she said. "I had two exams today. Two." Her hair was untidy and her eyes were red from reading.

"Later is always tomorrow," Nadia said. Her voice was louder than she wanted. Joy put the bread down. She took the bread out of the cupboard and put it back again.

"You never say anything nice when you come home," Joy said. Then she went to her room and closed the door. The door didn't bang, but it closed very slowly. That was worse.

The silence in the flat was loud. Nadia washed the pan. She felt angry, and then she felt stupid. She dried it, put it away and stood in the kitchen for a while.

"It is a pan," she thought. "I'm not angry about a pan. I'm tired and I want somebody to notice." She wanted to knock, but it was late and she was afraid of more words.

In the morning Joy sat in the kitchen with two cups of tea. "That was a stupid argument," she said. She pushed one cup across the table. The tea was still too hot.

"It was," Nadia said. "I'm sorry about my voice. Friday was hard, but that isn't your fault." "You should tell me when you are tired," Joy said. "I can't hear it."

"And I'm sorry about the pan," Joy said. "I'll wash things straight away. Even after two exams." "And I will ask about your week before I look at the sink."

They drank their tea. Then Joy grinned: "Ask me how the exams went." Nadia laughed and asked her. One went well, the other one badly. They talked about both.