Shirtless in a newly built kitchen

I got a message on LinkedIn from a guy with a Frisian name. “Hi Giselle, I think you had a parcel delivered to my address. You can come and collect it!” Nearly two years ago, my housemates and I were thrown out on the street without warning, because even though we always paid rent, we had never been given a contract. I hadn’t seen the apartment since.

I climb the three narrow staircases I once walked down every day. Another guy, with a name like Bas or Bram, opens the door and hands me the box with my blue top in it. I blink and ask if I can have a quick look at the living room. I haven’t been here for so long. He agrees, but one of his housemates – Thijs or Teun – is walking around without a shirt. Do I mind?

Two years ago, I lived here with an Egyptian musician who also liked to go shirtless. Especially in summer, when the intense sun streamed through the big windows and he was still recovering from his shift as a chef. I didn’t mind. My other housemate, a Chilean-Irish artist, also liked to go around topless. I didn’t mind that either.

But the musician was startled: breasts, he said, were for private moments with lovers and/or babies. The artist thought there was no difference between his chest and hers, and that his view of her body said more about him than about her. He agreed. Calm returned, along with the nipples. I preferred to keep my top on, but it was nice to feel that I didn’t have to.

When I see this half-naked boy, there’s a flicker of recognition, but otherwise everything feels different. Once there was a kitchen with an après-ski look: a tiled counter, trinkets hanging from the extractor hood, and cabinets with stained glass. A bit shabby, perhaps, but I found it charming. Now there’s a sleek, glossy kitchen, a huge sofa and football on TV. Altogether, the rent has gone up by 1,250 euros.

The boys don’t know how long they’ll be able to stay in the flat. The owner wants to sell it. I walk back down the narrow stairs and leave the house that is no longer mine. This morning, I got a message from the artist. Tomorrow I’ll have tea with the musician.