Emilia came by when Sadik was out and Nikola let her in. She smiled in that kind grandmotherly way that good people her age did, and Nikola felt guilty for leaving the cleaning to her.

What if her bones were brittle? What if she had back pain? There would be many sit-ups and dusting involved in the cleaning process. He was just about to suggest that she goes to the kitchen to rest up, for she had come with a bike, when she expertly began to sweep the floor.

“It is clean in here. Sadik used to make such messes,” said Emilia as she swept. Nikola sat down on the couch. Surely, Sadik had cleaned up after himself. “He didn’t even place his dishes in the dishwasher. Well, he did, one time about two months ago. I nearly had a heart attack at that. Legs up, young man.”

Nikola raised his legs as the old lady swept under them. She had white in her brown hair, and she looked to still have some strength to her. Despite her years.

“I am sorry about Sadik,” he didn’t know what else to say. He was yet to get his tasks for today. Nikola had the sinking suspicion that today might be his free day. Anyway, if he didn’t find out anything to do until five pm, he would prepare for the first lessons at the zoo.

“Sorry? If he wasn’t such a slob, I would be out of a job. Don’t tell him there was barely anything to clean here, will you? I need this job,” Nikola nodded. Sadik had told him as much. When Emilia moved around the love seat, he stood up and went back to his room. He took the sheets and the cover of the comforter and the pillow cases and took them to the washing machine.

“What are you doing?” Asked him, Emilia, nose scrunched up. “That is my job!”

“Sorry?” Nikola had never been yelled at for cleaning. Not that she was yelling, but her voice was scolding enough.

“Go in the garden or something! Seriously, I am not too old to bend you over my knee. Get out of the way. Shoo!” Nikola grinned and checked his pocket to see if his phone was still in it. Then, he headed to the lake.

He sat in the shade of the pine trees and looked at the calm water. It was unbearably hot today. He was in shorts, true, but he longed for the cold respite of the water.

Still, he hadn’t taken his bathing suit with him. So, he just took off his shoes and socks and went to the pier and hanged his legs over the water. He didn’t dare plunge them in. He was a terrible swimmer. But the cool breeze that went over the water was enough for him.

Meanwhile, Sadik was at the plot of land with the real estate agent. The woman wore a beige suit and looked professional enough. He had told her of his plans for the house, and she had nodded along, writing everything down in her clipboard.

“And, there won’t be a problem for the pool?” Sadik wasn't very knowledgeable about building permits, but he hadn’t seen any pools around the neighborhood, so, he worried.

“Shouldn’t be a problem, Mister Selim. We can have the house up by the end of the year. Will you be using our services for the furnishing too?” Sadik nodded.

“Have a stylist start picking things. A good mix between modern and conservative,” the agent raised an eyebrow at that, and Sadik grinned. “My lover likes things plain. But the house is for the both of us. So, I think that we should both have something of our own in the house.”

“And, what would your lover want? What type of woman is she?” Sadik looked the agent straight in the eyes and spoke.

“He is a man. A good, church going one,” the woman looked a bit confused at that.

“Excuse me, Mister Selim, but are you not a Muslim?”

“I am, yes. But he is a Christian. We make it work,” the woman smiled and nodded.

“It is good to know. What would he want in the house?” Sadik considered her words. Nikola’s house had been plain, impersonal.

“If I leave it up to him, he would have the house, look plain,” the woman nodded.

“Perhaps we can compromise? Wood on the outside of the walls, for both the inside and the outside. Wood carvings, no religious symbols on them. Done both in the Arabic and the American style,” Sadik supposed that was good enough. He didn’t bother correcting her that the carvings should be in the Arabic and European style. Nikola felt at home in the states. He wouldn’t mind.

“Yes, and I want a mosaic on the inside of the pool and around it. With Turkish motives,” the pool was going to be mostly for him, anyway. Then, he decided that he needed to show Nikola some consideration. “Can there be a big garden up front?”

“The house will need to become smaller, but, perhaps, we can make up for that by building it up? You have told me that you want three stories. But, maybe four wouldn’t hurt?” Sadik imagined a four-stories house and imagined Nikola looking disapprovingly at it.

“No, three stories is the biggest I will go. However, maybe the top can be made flat, like an apartment building? And extra sturdy so that it can be filled with plants?” The real estate agent looked to be wavering at that.

“Mister Selim, you want a garden on your roof? The weight of the soil will…” she stopped. Sadik checked her mind. She feared that if she refused him, the deal would be off.

“Just potted plants. Small ones. Not a garden. Still, there will be some space up front for some roses after the house is built?” Nikola loved roses. He even had them growing up his walls at the cottage. He’d like some around the sidewalk. Yellow, and Sadik would plant some red and white ones too, to add some spice.

“That can be arranged, now, for the materials,” Sadik became the one who nodded along as the agent began listing different material. He would occasionally shake his head. He was not getting the house made from anything that couldn’t survive at least for two hundred years.