The Garden Behind Apartment Nine
Chapter 1 - An unlocked gate
Nora's new apartment faced a neglected courtyard. Plastic bags tangled in weeds, and an old bench tilted into the soil. She asked the landlord whether she could plant something there. He gave her a rusty gate key and warned that nobody would help.
She began with one square meter. On Saturday morning a man from the third floor appeared, carrying a shovel. He did not introduce himself. He simply dug where she pointed.
By noon, a woman from apartment nine had brought water. She stayed behind the fence, watching Nora plant beans.
"Those will need support," she said. The next day, three lengths of bamboo leaned against the gate.
