The Swiss Escape

Home, sweet home

It’s mid-day in Zurich. Kayla and I are both exhausted, but I want to push for a few more hours before going to sleep. Once getting through customs and exchanging some money, I find a taxi to take us to the apartment.

The cab ride takes about thirty minutes. When we finally arrive, I notice how old the building is. The owners kept it up, but noticeable older and outdated. I take my suitcases and Kayla’s. Then we start up the stairs. The landlord is waiting for us at the door. “You must be Ms. Miller. I am Mrs. Wallin. Do you have the deposit and rent for the month?”

“Yes, Mrs. Wallin,” I reach into my purse and pull out an envelope I set aside the money for the apartment when exchanging currency. I hand it to Mrs. Wallin.

She smiles. “Here, let’s get you and the little one settled in, I hope you don’t mind, but I left some food for you and the little one. There is also a casserole in the oven. I figured you would be hungry and tired from your journey.”

“Thank you. That means a lot.” I am surprised by Mrs. Wallin’s generosity.

“Don’t worry about it. My mother was a single mother. I have a soft spot for them.” She gave me a quick tour of the apartment and told me goodbye, then gave Kayla a piece of candy.

I looked around the apartment after Mrs. Wallin left. I was happy to see that everything was tidy. I went into Kayla’s room and started to unpack her things. First, her clothes, then I take her bag of toys and empty it. Kayla’s room isn’t huge. There are two small twin beds against the walls with a little table in between them. Then opposite the beds are a small dresser and closet. The closet reminds me of one I had at college in my dorm. The doors slide to either side, and there is a shelf at the bottom. The side has a shoe rack. I hang a few of Kayla’s outfits and put the rest into the dresser. Then find places for her toys.

Kayla is tired and asks for a nap, it is mid-day, so I decide to let her sleep for an hour. After putting her to bed, I go to my room and start unpacking. Once I finish unpacking, I look around the apartment. I check the fridge, there is enough food for tonight, but we would need to go to the store tomorrow.

Pulling out my phone, I text Jen, ‘Hey, I just wanted to let you know we made it to the apartment and are settling in. My landlord is nice and left us food for tonight.’ After texting Jen, I took a quick shower. After a long flight, the shower felt amazing. I wake Kayla up after and spend the rest of the day playing and enjoying our new home.

The next morning I wake up exhausted. I slept twelve hours last night. The longest I have slept since having Kayla. I go to Kayla’s room; she is still out. I guess she found this past couple of days as exhausting as I did. I wake her up, and we go out to the market near our new home.

There is a small shop with kitchen supplies. I decide since we don’t have plates, pots, or utensils, I should pick up a few at the shop. To my relief, the place delivers, so I don’t have to carry my purchases and Kayla up five flights.

Next, we go to another area of the market. One of the stalls has small plants. I pick a few herbs to put on the balcony of the apartment. I didn’t have any reusable bags, but luckily one of the merchants did. He hands it to me and calls it a welcome gift. I thank him repeatedly. I get some fresh fruit, vegetables, and eggs from different sellers. Then Kayla and I go home.

I make us a quick breakfast, then put the plants outside. There is only one chair on the balcony. There seems to be enough room for a small table, two chairs, and then some plants. I make a mental note to get outdoor furniture in the future.

I still need a few things from the shops but taking Kayla to the park is more important. I watch as she plays with other kids, clearly not affected by the language barrier at all.

Once she finishes playing, I decide to find the school. It takes us a few tries, but we finally find it. As we approach, a man is walking out. I immediately recognize him as Headmaster Alexander. I wonder if I should say hi, would he remember me? There isn’t much time to consider my options. He looks up at me and smiles.

“Ms. Miller, I am glad you made it. How are you settling into your flat?” Alexander’s voice is smooth and sexy; his accent compliments him well.

“Good, there is still a lot that I need, but I am excited to make it mine.” I smile at him, “Well, I just wanted to make sure I could find the school before I start working. It was nice to meet you in person, Mr. Senn.” I turn to leave.

“Would you like me to show you around Zurich?” Alexander seems like a kind man, and a part of me desperately wants to get to know him better. He is handsome, but it feels wrong to have the thoughts I have while looking at him.

“That would be great, but I should get Kayla back for her nap.” Something about this man flusters me.

“Then allow me to walk you home. It will give us a chance to get to know each other. I try to know all the teachers personally.” The smile on his face hypnotizes me for a moment.

I smile back and gesture for us to go. “Mr. Senn, do you know of any shops where I could pick up furniture or decorations? The apartment is quite bland.”

“Please call me, Alex, outside the school. There are a few places around, but the market is the best. You can get plates, plants, chairs, and lots of other things. Have you been?”

“Yes, we went this morning. I got some groceries.”  

“Well, then, you know.” The silence is awkward, and I can’t think of anything to say. “Do you miss home? I am sure packing up and moving here is a lot.”

“It is. Right now, I feel more relieved than anything. I moved around a lot as a child, so I never felt at home anywhere. I hope Zurich becomes my home.”

Alexander smiles at me, “Zurich becomes home to many. It became my home.”

“Where did you live before?”

“My parents are both immigrants. My father is from Berlin, and my mother is from Budapest. They were living in Romania when they had my brother. I was born three years later in the Netherlands. We moved to Austria when I was seven, then came to Switzerland after I turned twelve. In my final year of school, my parents moved to Romania. I refused to go with them, this is my home, and I was not about to leave.”

“Wow, you have moved around as much as me.” I smile at Alex. “Where do your parents live now?”

“I think Sweden, but I am not for sure. What about your parents? How do they feel about you living on the other side of the world?”

I let out a sigh; I knew this would come out sooner or later. “My parents died when I was young. I was passed around between grandparents, aunts, and uncles until I finally ended up in foster care. When I turned 16, my best friend's parents adopted me. They died about three years later in a car accident. So I don’t have anyone back home other than Jen, my best friend.

“Are you excited to start school? Is Kayla?”

“Yes, we both are.” After a moment, I realize I have no supplies for my classroom or Kayla. “What about supplies?” Alex looks at me with a question. “Am I supposed to decorate a classroom? Does Kayla need to take crayons or anything like that to school?”

Alex chuckles. “Do no worry. You are sharing a classroom with Mrs. Kol. She already has it decorated. The school supplies everything the child will need to be successful. All Kayla needs to do is show up to class.” Something about Alex’s presence soothes me.

“This is my building. Thank you for walking us.”

“Next week we will have a staff meeting. Please be at school by nine. Enjoy the rest of your day.” Alex turns and starts to walk away. I grab Kayla and start up the long flight of stairs.