‘Don’t worry, sis,’ he says. ‘Special delivery for specialist Leaps. Chronophones. So you stay connected.’ He lowers his voice. ‘Elle, we need to come inside. Keep stuff private.’

I understand. Chronophones haven’t been invented yet so we don’t want people to see them. Especially outside my flat. The thieves would come and steal them and commit even more crimes than Le Temps. I let them in.

I’ve never seen Grandma look so happy, like she knew they’d come, sitting them down at the table, making me introduce everybody, make them tea and eat pepper soup whether they like it or not. Even GMT sips the soup. No one can refuse Grandma. She moves across the room without limping and I wonder if her leg doesn’t pain so much when she’s happy. Or maybe she doesn’t notice the pain with lots of people to talk to.

She tells me to talk to my friends while she continues to prepare the food. I like that she calls them my friends. I haven’t had friends in 2020 before and never had them in the flat. Only Big Ben. I don’t even worry I didn’t have time to scrub the mushrooms off the walls. No one’s noticed the mushrooms. I don’t know what to say to them, though, so I say:

‘Where are the Chronophones?’

MC2 puts two silver Chronophones on the table. They’re identical, except one has a B and the other an L inscribed underneath. Big Ben picks his up and starts clicking. 30 seconds later he’s whooping and punching the air. I check his phone. A video of Fiona soaring over the countryside, Season at the wheel, playing on a loop. It’ll take him an hour to calm down. Then I’ll remind him to text his mum so she knows he’s safe. At least she’s not expecting him home till after 3 p.m. I pick up my Chronophone.

‘Customised, too,’ says MC2. ‘Check out the vid. Ama’s maestro leap.’

I click on the video icon and the words ‘AMA’S LEAP OF THE CENTURY’ come onto the screen in white letters, like she’s famous. Then the camera shows Ama at the end of the run-up of the long jump. She’s talking to herself like athletes do so the words become a reality. Then she stretches back, pauses, and begins to accelerate down the runway. I’ve never seen Ama run like this before. She’s quite fast. Then she hits the board and hurls herself into the air. Then everything goes slow motion until she lands, twisting her body to the side so she doesn’t fall back. It must be at least 6 metres! The words ‘6 metres 2 centimetres’ come onto the screen then fizzle out to Ama’s talking head. She says:

‘Elle, wish I could leap like you, but I do my best. Stay in touch, sis!!’