I remember that soft voice like it was yesterday. I never got to know his name or anything about him at all. All I know is that he was the most beautiful man in the entire world.
I walked into my dorm and put down my bag and a wooden box with books. I look around the small 2 bedroom room. It had a tiny kitchen with some cooking supplies on the table with two small boxes, one with my name on it and one with one with ‘john laurens’ on it. The door opened. I looked up and a quite tall boy walked in, carrying two boxes full of stuff. ‘Hello, im john. john laurens’ i shake his hand. ‘alexander. alexander hamilton’ i almost choke in my words as i recognize the voice. the soft voice, the face everything.
We unpack the whole night, I didn't have much stuff to unpack so I helped john. ‘No it goes there’ John points to the top of the shelf. I look at the painting he handed me. ‘Are these your parents?’ I ask, he nods. I noticed a tear in his left eye. ‘hey it's okay if you don't want to talk about it’ i try to comfort him. ‘they died 2 weeks ago, my dad got shot and my mother died of loneliness’ his voice is shaky. I pull him close and give him a side hug. He buries his face into my chest. ‘i'm sorry i barely know you, god i'm so sorry’ ‘shh john it's okay, you can cry’ He gets out of my hug and wipes away his tears. ‘Let's unpack this and then we can head to the bar maybe?’ I nod and pick up a book to put away.
We enter the bar and I can tell he's been here before, he immediately knows his spot by the bar. I sat next to him and we placed our order. ‘so what brings you here alexander’ john ask. im a bit taken back by his question.’eeh, i was born in the caribbean moved here 2 weeks ago to get an education at king's college’ i awkwardly look at my drink. I'm an immigrant, what if his opinion changed about me?
‘So you're an immigrant?’ he asks, i nod. there is a silence, ‘where are your parents from?’ John breaks the killing silence. ‘scotland’ i speak quietly. ‘really?’John looks at me. I nod. ‘i never would've guessed you were from scotland’ i look up to john ‘where did you think i was from?’ ‘southern america or somewhere east’ ‘really? you thought i was fully american?’ I almost spit out my drink. ‘Yeah John answers with a straight face. I chuckle and John laughs. his blue eyes sparkle with joy.
‘So what classes do you have today?’ I asked John while drinking my tea. ‘english and literature’ john answers while packing some books and his quill and ink in his bag. ‘Lucky, I have writing, math and economics’ I sigh. I finish my tea and look outside. The campus is filled with people starting their first day or even their last first day. The campus is filled with voices and laughter. I take my bag and walk to my first class. I sat down next to a French guy. At least I think he's French considering his accent. He looks kind. I take my book and flip through some of the pages. 'Good read?’ the french guy asks. ‘Yeah it's a good read’ I handed him the book. I watched him read a page. ‘okay i have to agree it's a good read’ he gives my book back. ‘im marquis lafayette, you can call me lafayette’ ‘alexander.. hamilton’ ‘nice to meet you alexander’ lafayette smiles. I smile back.
‘Let's go for a drink tonight Lafayette says after class, I agree. It's nice to finally have some friends. In the Caribbean I never really had friends. I was working day and night for just five dollars a week. sometimes nothing. I had to take care of myself for a long time but now I have people who look out for me who care about me, who look out for me.
Although I barely know Lafayette, I know we will be good friends.
I walk into my dorm, Laurens is reading in his chair. 'Hello!' He looked up from his book.’Hey Laurens,’ I sat down in my own chair. We talked about school and the teachers and the people we met today. I told him about Lafayette and his plan for tonight. Laurens agrees to join me.
I'i'm glad we're friends laurens’
‘me too’
