English stories and books by level
Cover of A Room for Maya
A2FlexiLingo story· The Night Shift · Episode 4

A Room for Maya

by FlexiLingo · 5 pages · 10 min

Maya's landlord raises the rent and she has two weeks to find a new room in Toronto. After a basement, strict rules and a room she cannot pay for, help comes from the person she least expects.

Read it here — tap any word for its meaning

The letter was on the floor when Maya came home at seven in the morning. It was from Mr. Novak, her landlord.

Dear tenant. From the first of April, the rent for your room is $950 a month. If you do not want to pay the new rent, please leave the room by March 31. Thank you. P. Novak.

Maya read it three times. She paid $700 now. It was already a lot of money for a small room with one window and a kitchen she shared with four other students. She could not pay $950. Not with her classes. Not with her night job.

She sat on her bed and looked at the calendar on the wall. It was March 17. Two weeks.

That night at the café, she made a mistake with every second order. She gave Luis green tea. She gave Nurse Priya a large coffee with three sugars.

"Maya," Priya said, and pushed the cup back gently. "I've had this drink every night since January. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm sorry." Maya made a new green tea. Then she put her hands on the counter. "Actually, something is wrong. My landlord wants more rent. I have to find a new room in two weeks."

1 of 5

Keep the words you tap

In FlexiLingo the words you look up become flashcards, and your place in the book is saved on every device. Free.

Continue reading in FlexiLingo

More in this series

  1. 1The First NightA2
  2. 2The StormA2
  3. 3The Empty TableA2
  4. 4A Room for Maya
  5. 5The WalletA2
  6. 6The Sign in the WindowA2
  7. 7The Box of LettersB1
  8. 8Three O'ClockB1

More English books