I FEEL MY LUCK COULD CHANGE

She was banging on the lift door when I walked in.
‘They’re talking on five,’ she said, ‘have been for ten minutes.’
I stood next to her, listened, heard voices, banged on the lift door myself
- BANG BANG BANG -
then began waiting pacing in the foyer.
‘Now it’s gone up to thirteen,’ she said.
Woman who I know to say hello to came joined us.
‘Hello,’ I said.
She looked at and said, ‘hello.’
‘It was at five for ages they were talking,’ said the first woman, ‘then it went up to thirteen and now it keeps stopping at the floors coming down.’
‘What’s that smell?’ said the woman I know to say hello to.
‘What smell?’ said the first woman.
‘Is it in the lift?’.
‘I don’t think so,’ I said.
‘Well, there’s a smell and it’s coming from somewhere.’
Pause.
I turned to I know to say hello to and said, ‘you know when the other lift’s going to be ready?’
‘They said five weeks when I asked them a couple’a days ago,’ she said.
‘Five weeks?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’m not looking forward to everyone using that lift,’ I said. ‘It used to be the clean lift but it won’t be for very long.’
‘I hadn’t thought of that,’ she said.