Joe scratched the tip of his nose, feeling the sting of cold after his fingers finished their task. His eyes were caught on a flyer. He made out a picture of a bicycle and something about a free parfait in the cafeteria after. The small stack threatened to blow away in the wind if it weren't for the stone trapping them down on the trunk of this stranger's car. She had been chatting away about nothing in particular for far too long and Joe was growing weary of her presence. He wanted to get back home and start his evening routines. The thought of listening to her drone on for any longer was inducing pain in the side of his forehead.
"So, do you think you'll be able to make it out? It's only a four hour cycle and then free food in the cafeteria after..."
"Uh, yeah, sure, that sounds cool, I guess. I'll see-" he started to work out his thoughts only to be interrupted again by this older, larger woman.
"Well, we all have things going on, I understand but, this will be one hell of a bike ride, I mean the scenery you'll see..." She continued to talk to the point of Joe's mental exhaustion. After a few minutes he held up his hand and made a little wave.
"I really need to get home to my kids." He put simply.
"Oh. Oh, yeah, of course. Take a flyer so you don't forget!" She reached a flyer out to him and he graciously accepted it. She began talking to someone else almost immediately. He shoved the flyer in his pocket, deciding once he was free of her persistent jabbering, that he was in fact, not going to make it on the bike ride. He didn't even have kids. Or a bike; he chuckled to himself.
Joe walked to the edge of the building and across the street. The chill in the air was getting to him. His hands couldn't dig any deeper into his hoodie pockets. Smiling at whomever he passed, he longed for his home. Three more blocks and he could climb the four flights of stairs to his one bedroom apartment, take off his sneakers, and relax. The outside world was becoming tedious. Joe had already began to daydream, thinking of his future, his plans, anything that would distract him from the whipping cold tickling his nose. Not many people understood the tranquility of being inside his mind and he didn't care to let them in on it. Solitude was far too comforting.
His mind wandered quickly back to his recent interaction in the parking lot. It brought back a memory that he had long forgotten when his ex-girlfriend, Melody, had insisted on staying after dark making out in the back of her station wagon. She was sweet and pretty. She didn't always tell him when she was upset and he would fill the void with nonsense. The constant droning caused her to dip inside of herself and they quickly lost touch with each other. But, that night in the parking lot, he put his hand on her hip and lightly touched the edge of her jeans. She responded happily. He smiled, recalling the warmth he felt from her that night. The giggling, the sharing, being able to meet her inner self, the gift of her just waiting to be unwrapped. A neighbor was walking out as he was walking in and it caught his thoughts instantly. Joe let the memory fade back into his mind. Melody was long gone. She had moved on, no surprise considering the decades that had already passed between them. He had learned a lot since then, including that he enjoyed his own company more than anything. But, his loneliness did settle in occasionally. He hurried inside to continue painting the inside of his mind.
"So, do you think you'll be able to make it out? It's only a four hour cycle and then free food in the cafeteria after..."
"Uh, yeah, sure, that sounds cool, I guess. I'll see-" he started to work out his thoughts only to be interrupted again by this older, larger woman.
"Well, we all have things going on, I understand but, this will be one hell of a bike ride, I mean the scenery you'll see..." She continued to talk to the point of Joe's mental exhaustion. After a few minutes he held up his hand and made a little wave.
"I really need to get home to my kids." He put simply.
"Oh. Oh, yeah, of course. Take a flyer so you don't forget!" She reached a flyer out to him and he graciously accepted it. She began talking to someone else almost immediately. He shoved the flyer in his pocket, deciding once he was free of her persistent jabbering, that he was in fact, not going to make it on the bike ride. He didn't even have kids. Or a bike; he chuckled to himself.
Joe walked to the edge of the building and across the street. The chill in the air was getting to him. His hands couldn't dig any deeper into his hoodie pockets. Smiling at whomever he passed, he longed for his home. Three more blocks and he could climb the four flights of stairs to his one bedroom apartment, take off his sneakers, and relax. The outside world was becoming tedious. Joe had already began to daydream, thinking of his future, his plans, anything that would distract him from the whipping cold tickling his nose. Not many people understood the tranquility of being inside his mind and he didn't care to let them in on it. Solitude was far too comforting.
His mind wandered quickly back to his recent interaction in the parking lot. It brought back a memory that he had long forgotten when his ex-girlfriend, Melody, had insisted on staying after dark making out in the back of her station wagon. She was sweet and pretty. She didn't always tell him when she was upset and he would fill the void with nonsense. The constant droning caused her to dip inside of herself and they quickly lost touch with each other. But, that night in the parking lot, he put his hand on her hip and lightly touched the edge of her jeans. She responded happily. He smiled, recalling the warmth he felt from her that night. The giggling, the sharing, being able to meet her inner self, the gift of her just waiting to be unwrapped. A neighbor was walking out as he was walking in and it caught his thoughts instantly. Joe let the memory fade back into his mind. Melody was long gone. She had moved on, no surprise considering the decades that had already passed between them. He had learned a lot since then, including that he enjoyed his own company more than anything. But, his loneliness did settle in occasionally. He hurried inside to continue painting the inside of his mind.
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