New Year's Resolutions

On December 31, three flatmates sat in a cold kitchen in Edinburgh with a bottle of wine and a big box of chocolates. Their names were Fiona, Ben and Kasia. It was five minutes to midnight.

"OK, resolutions," said Fiona. "I'm going to stop eating chocolate. Completely. From tomorrow." She took one more chocolate from the box. "The last one."

"I'll go to the gym," said Ben. "Three times a week. I'll get up at six, and I'll run before work. You'll see." Kasia laughed. "You? At six?" "Yes, me. I'll do it."

Kasia was quieter. "I'm going to learn Spanish," she said. "My grandmother was from Seville, and I never learned her language. I'm going to study twenty minutes every day, and in the summer I'm going to visit her village."

At midnight, they opened the window and listened to the fireworks over the castle. "Happy New Year!" They promised to help each other. "I'll hide the chocolate," said Ben. "I'll wake you up at six," said Fiona.

January was long and dark. On the 4th, Fiona found Ben's secret box of chocolates and ate half of it. On the 9th, Ben's alarm rang at six. He turned it off and slept until eight. On the 10th, the same. On the 11th, he moved the alarm to seven. Then to eight.

On January 31, the three sat in the kitchen again. Fiona had a chocolate in her hand. Ben had a cold and a gym card with one visit on it. And Kasia? Kasia opened her notebook and said good evening in Spanish. It was slow, and the accent was very Scottish, but it was Spanish. Thirty-one days.

Her flatmates clapped. "Don't worry," said Kasia, in English. "Next year I'll help you both."