One Man, Two Souls

One Man, Two Souls(Brittany Pierce) In the foggy, bay window, a bright-eyed boy stands staring at the house across the street. An opal, suburban home with lily pink shutters and a matching pink door. Flower beds surround the front of the house and the luscious green grass is cut very neatly. The aroma of Spring fills the air and curiosity illuminates the room. He never saw anyone go in or out of that house and he wondered if anyone lived in such a beautiful home. The boy leaped down the stairs and yelled to his mom, “Mom! I’m going outside to play!”

“Okay honey, dinner will be ready soon! Don’t be out too late!” She yelled, as she scrubbed hard at porcelain china.

He sprinted across the road and glanced back to make sure his mom wasn’t standing watch. She would be very concerned about him standing anywhere near the house. She would always tell him that a grumpy old man lived in the house and didn’t like kids. The boy knew that his mom was trying to scare him, but they only made him more curious. He stood with his hand ready to knock on the lily pink door. The door swung open before he could knock and the boy’s crystal blue eyes became golf ball sized.

“What do you want?” A wrinkly man glared at the boy.

“Uhhhhhh...Sir, I...I think your house is rrreally pretty,” The boy stuttered from the nerves running through his body.

“What’s your name, son?”

“Alic.”

“Come on in boy. Take a seat, I will get you something to drink.”

“Uh, okay, thank you sir.”

Alic sat in the chair by the west window. Looking around he saw pictures of a woman everywhere. A painting hangs over the mantle. Red and pink splashed onto a white canvas. The colors twirl around like the sun smeared with red and pink.

“That is my wife’s painting. She won ten awards from it.”

“Is this your wife in all of the pictures?”

“Yes. She died twenty years ago.”

“How?”

“Did your mom ever teach you that it is rude to ask so many questions?”

“Oh, sorry sir, I didn’t…”

“It’s fine.”
The man tossed a can of soda at the boy and he sat in the chair across from Alic. Psss, the soda fizzed and sent grape scents twirling through the air. A moment of silence fell upon them and Alic slowly sipped his soda.

“So, what do you want to know? Do you want to know the scary story of the grumpy man across the street or do you want to know the real story? I’m assuming your parents have told you some extravagant story about the grumpy old man across the way.”

“No, no sir, they haven’t told me anything!” Alic lied, “I have never seen anybody come in or out of this house so I wanted to see for myself.”

“Well, I am the man that lives alone. My wife died and I am fine by myself. I don’t particularly like little kids and I absolutely despise teenagers. No one talks to me and I don’t talk to them. It is better off that way.”

“But don’t you get lonely, sir?”

“No. Like I said, I am fine by myself.”

“I don’t have summer school this year, so if you would like, I could help you around the house and we could play games and go to the park and play chess and play catch and,” Alic gasped for air, “Sorry, I just never have had any friends and you seem really nice.”

“What part of, I don’t like little kids did you not understand?”

“Sorry, sir, I will just go.”

Alic got up to leave and headed towards the door. With his head to the ground, his body slumped over, Alic grabbed the cold, gold handle.

“Wait,” The man invited Alic back into the living room, “I’m sorry for snapping at you like that. I am very crabby when I get hungry. Would you like to stay for dinner?”

“Sure! Thank you sir!”

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch kid.”

Alic surprisingly got the man to smile. The man cooked dinner while Alic sat at the countertop and talked on and on. They talked about baseball, Alic’s family, cars, anything you could think of. They ate dinner at the table and talked some more. When it was time for Alic to go home, the man patted Alic’s head and told him to come back the next day. Alic went home and the man crawled into bed. The man kissed the picture of his wife on his nightstand and gently closed his eyes to sleep.

…

“How is he doing, Doctor?” A man stands at the 8x10 window carved into a solid white door. The doctor looks at him with sympathetic eyes, “He’s been talking to himself close to everyday. Sir, I have a question for you. Was there ever a little boy named Alic in your family?”

“What?” The man looked as if he was in shock.

“Your father speaks of a child named Alic. We thought that you might of had a brother or family member that had died and he thinks he sees him.”

“My father has been called Alic all through his life. There hasn’t been anyone in our family or friends with that name.”

Alic rocks back and forth in his rocking chair. With a smirk on his face and his eyes glazed over, he stares at the four blank walls around him.