CASSIAN
The neighborhood we moved into was not the good side of the city. It was the side where the rent was low enough for a new recruit to pay.
But it had its own kind of beauty. It was full of life.
At 7 PM every evening, the smell of everyone's cooking would drift through the walls.
You could hear the neighbors arguing on the third floor and a baby crying somewhere above us.
The apartment was small. It had two rooms and furniture we found on the street or bought for pennies.
I discovered cooking by necessity.
Julian's idea of a meal was anything that was edible if you were hungry enough.
Since we were always hungry, it technically worked. But after three weeks of eating what he made, I took over.
I watched people. I watched the women in the market. I watched the guy at the corner deli.
And then I did it. And then I did it again. After two months, I was better than Julian. I was considerably better.
