(Its in Simons "pov" even tho its not first person, if that makes sense)
A middle aged man sits alone on a bench a little off the sidewalk, the quiet of the night surrounding him.
From what you could see- the dark bags under his eyes, hair even messier than usual, and scruffy clothes -you would never have guessed he was a renowned man, known by many, liked by few.
He stares out at nothing, eyes devoid of any emotion.
A car can be heard in the distance.
He watches as car speeds past him, and the silence falls once again.
The sound of footsteps breaks the quiet. He doesn't look.
Suddenly they stop, right next to where he is sitting, he looks up.
He catches the eyes of a young man, dressed impeccably in a suit. Far too fancy for a simply walk in the dead of the night.
Neither of them say a word.
The younger man tilts his head, wordlessly asking if he can have a seat.
He nods and moves to the side, giving him space.
They sit together, as if they were the only two people left in this world.
Out of the corner of his eye he watches him, even despite his fancy attire its clear to see he isn't as well put together as one would think.
He too, has bags under his eyes, and a button or two have been missed on his shirt. He looks tired, far too tired for it to be simply sleep deprivation.
The man breaks the silence,
"Its quiet"
Theres a certain sadness in his voice.
He pauses, thinking of what to reply, if to even reply at all.
He settles with "I like it that way"
Do I really? He thinks. I dont, the silence is unbearable. If theres silence there are no things to be distracted by. and if theres nothing to be distracted by, theres no stopping the mess of his mind.
But as the time passes, still with no words spoken, he feels more comfortable, the world quietening in a way he has never experienced before.
As if this strangers presence solves everything wrong in this world.
In his world.
He cant wrap his head around it.
Few cars pass, and they sit together for hours, finding comfort in each others presence.
as the light breaks through the early hours of the morning, has it really been that long? The young man stands up. "It has.. been nice. Sitting with you"
and he smiles.
It was just a smile, but he feels as he can breathe again, as if for just a moment, he is okay, this young, way too dressed up stranger has made him feel a peace in his life that he has never felt.
He walks away.
"Wait!"
He cant explain what sudden distress came over him, but suddenly he wants to run up to him, to follow him anywhere he goes.
"Whats your name!"
But he doesnt reply, just keeps walking, he turns a corner and hes gone.
Hes left alone again.
And despite the suns early rays on him, he feels cold.
He never even got his name.
(in case it isnt clear, the stranger was david oop)
