6:57 P.M.
I haven�t seen him in well over a year but when he called and said he may be in the neighborhood I told him to stop by.
I rushed home from work and did a quick clean sweep of the apartment.
I didn�t even have time to take a look in the mirror before the call came to my home number.
�I�m at the gate, can you buzz me in?�
Oh shit! Oh shit!
I franticly threw the dirty clothes and shoes into the closet and shut the door. I zipped through the room making a few last minute adjustments. I made the bed.
I compacted the garbage in the pantry, rinsed out the kitchen sink, and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
I escorted Mr. Bunny back out to the porch and wiped up the bunny turds that he left on the tile in the front walk way.
(He spent the night in the apartment when the temperatures dropped below 60 last night)
I changed out of my work clothes and put on a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt.
I looked like hell, but the apartment was presentable.
I turned on the television and then came a knock on the door.
I opened it up and said hello.
He looked the same.
The months had not changed his appearance much, but I had forgotten his once familiar face over time.
He still looks like Jared Letto.
He smiled as he walked through the apartment. We exchanged our hello�s and he complimented my new place.
I was surprised when he whipped out his laptop and showed me a slideshow of pictures taken on his trip to Europe.
As he said, "And this is Rome..."
I got lost in the photograph and thought deeply about unrelated subjects.
He was talking about Italy, and I was thinking,
"Has THAT much time really gone past? He was there last May and I had intended on stopping by his place to see the pictures sooner."
As he ran through the photo�s he had a story behind each picture. He paused a few times as he got so excited telling the story that he gasped to catch his breath. I wasn�t sure if I made him feel uncomfortable, nervous, or if he was just THAT excited describing the architecture in Rome.
I started to think too deeply and I probably zoned out a few times while he was telling his stories.
Why didn�t I make more time to stop by? Was it really me, or did we have conflicting schedules?
As his presentation came to a close, he shut down his laptop and hinted that he couldn�t stay long.
He updated me on his life and showed me pictures of his dog.
He asked about �Things� and my family and I told him things were fine.
I don�t like to lie, but he didn�t have a lot of time and I probably won�t see him again so he doesn�t know any different.
I quickly changed the subject and told him all about that independent film, �Pieces Of April�. I suggested that he should check it out if he got the chance.
There was a moment of awkward silence and he glanced at the counter at his keys.
I thanked him for stopping by and he said it was nice to see me again.
He headed for the door and paused and he turned to me and looked at me with a sad expression in his eyes. He glanced down at my shirt and read the logo and smiled.
I gave him a hug and told him not to be a stranger. He held on longer than expected and the hesitant pause in his voice didn�t seem so awkward, but almost familiar.
There was a time when we all of a sudden lost touch and I didn't hear from him for a long time. At that very moment, when we stood at the door I wanted to appologize.
He pulled away and said he�d call sometime.
I shut the door and waited for him to start his truck.
I can�t help but wonder what made him call out of the blue? What made him stop by?
Oh forget it!
I need to get myself together. I�m meeting up with Jenn soon and we�re going out for a bit.
I still need to grab some grub and take a shower.
