Sensation

It was the third day Neighbor hadn't shown up outside with his cold morning beer and a news paper. I've got to be honest, I was getting a little nosy. Wondering where he was in all. Part of me wanted to go knock on his front door. Where have you been mister? I could just see it. I knew he was home. His slick black Escalade was sitting in his small gravel driveway.

I stood up and grabbed my coffee, walking down my porch steps and across the grass to Neighbor's yard. His house was so quite, all you could hear was the cars passing by on the main street.

I brought my hand up, and just before I could knock he cracked open his door.

"Yes?" His hoarse voice chimed.

"Oh, I was just seeing where you've been."

"Want to come in for tea?"

I smiled and walked in slowly as he opened the door just enough for me to get past him. I looked around the somewhat nice looking home. It was empty, if anything. The walls were painted a darker gray. There was no furniture whatsoever.

I followed him into the kitchen area after he locked every lock on his door.

"Sorry, I sold all of my stuff a little while back." He muttered, starting up a kettle for tea.

"It's fine. This is how my house was when I first moved in."

"I never caught your name, did I?" He finally looked up to me.

"It's Jal." I smiled.

"I'm Oliver. You can call me Oli."

"Nice to meet you Oli."

He sniffled a little and started pouring the tea into two white coffee cups. He took some milk out of his also empty refrigerator, checking the expiration date quickly. As he poured it into the the tea, I took a seat on the floor, back against the wall.

As we sipped our tea Oliver went on about his life story, and I just sat and listened. Everything was so interesting.

"...And then my mum kicked me out and I moved here. My band mates and me are really close, sometimes they stay here. You've seen them before." He sighed. "But my brother, Tom. We no longer talk."

"Why not?"

"I'd rather not talk about it love," He breathed in deeply through his nose. "It's just because of mistakes I've made."

"I understand."

I didn't want to leave to home. I wanted to sit and listen to his long stories of his past, good or bad. He was such an interesting individual. I don't really talk to many people, but I felt connected to this man. Oliver.