No Place Like Home ✔

Five

It was the fourth day. I had decided to take a break on the third day because sitting in the scalding heat was quite a difficult task and I was on the brink of being diagnosed with a bad case of sun poisoning. 

I was an insult to those who were truly homeless. 

I was an insult to society at this point. 

Indeed, society possesses the most horrible of beings. But what happens when you're more horrible than all the horrible beings in society combined?

Once again I was seated in my usual area. Once again I sat and watched as people poured into the area and tossed me a quarter of what they had in their wallets. Once again I enjoyed the looks of pity that were being sent my way. 

Once again I saw him.

And once again he sat beside me to vent about his hatred for society.

"Society's just so full of... snakes. Society's a snake," he concluded amidst his seemingly never-ending speech. 

If society is a snake then I am the poison in its fangs.

"You sure do hate this world.. more than you should."

"There is no limitations when it comes to hatred," he began. "You either hate something too much or you don't hate it at all. That's why they say it's such a strong word - because the emotion that comes with is equally as strong."

"Spoken like a true philosopher," I joked. 

That made him laugh. 

His laugh was angelic to the ears - like a melody being played by the gentlest of angels on her golden harp in the gates of heaven. Like the sound of the calming waves of the ocean licking at the rocks that lay on the shore. Like the sound of tiny little birds chirping on a golden morning with just the right bit of intensity. 

"It's a hot day," he noted. "Why don't you sit in the shade? Under a tree, maybe?"

I shrugged as if I were unaware of the answer myself - when in reality, I was. It was for the sole purpose of evoking a greater amount of pity from the vagabonds. 

"Do you miss having a home?" he asked. "Sorry if I'm pushing it. I just want to know.. were you born like this or did you end up like this?"

Once again, I shrugged. But this time, I had an answer, "I ended up like this. Told you, it's all bad luck."

"Bad luck with a reason."

I hummed in response. 

"What's your reason?" 

"The death of my parents maybe," I confessed. "They left me with nothing. I know I shouldn't be blaming my plight on my dead parents. But.. I guess I just do so because I don't want to blame myself. Does that make me selfish?"

"I'm sorry for your loss," he stared. "But no. It doesn't make you selfish. All human beings are selfish, so it just makes you human."

"Does that make you selfish then?"

"I'm human too, am I not?"

I was speechless. 

He did that quite often, I realized - leaving me speechless. Something that hadn't ever happened before; not even when I'd gotten a call informing me about the death of my parents. I always had the most to say - but with this half-stranger, I found myself at a loss for words. 

"Here," he spoke, handing me a bottle of water that was hot to the touch - a result of having been under the heat of the sun for far too long. "You must be thirsty."

"I am," I admitted before taking a sip. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for being a decent human being," he said with a laugh. 

"That's untrue," I sighed. "Not everyone's a decent human being, so I need to thank you for being one."

"Hey, I think you're pretty decent," he said with a grin whilst nudging me with his elbow. 

I forced a smile, "I'm really not."

"Hmm, well it's just what I think." 

Clearly you don't know me well enough - and I'm glad you don't. You wouldn't want to either. You shouldn't want to.

"I talk a lot don't I?"

"You do," I admitted. "But I don't mind. It's nice having some company."

"When was the last time you had company like this?"

"I can't seem to remember."

I could, actually. Every bright memory I could recollect had occurred right before the death of my parents. 

I'd been blessed with a small circle of honest friends - or so I thought. One by one, they began leaving after the incident. In the beginning, I always assumed that they were in the wrong - that I had done nothing to drive them away and they were only doing so of their own accord. However, when it kept happening - I realized that maybe, just maybe, it had been my fault all along. 

"I can't seem to remember either," he admitted. "Never really was the type of dude that enjoyed hanging around people. I like my own company."

"Then why are you here?"

"Ouch," he said with a chuckle. "I don't know to be honest. I guess even being in my own company gets a little boring sometimes."

"So am I your temporary entertainment apparatus?"

"Whatever that is," he snorted. "No. You're a friend."

A friend.

"We've known each other for only a day or two," I stated. 

"Friendship has nothing to do with time," he said, cracking his knuckles. "It has everything to do with chemistry."

"I was a Biology student."

"Stop being difficult," he laughed. 

"It was a joke," I reminded him. "But what do you mean by chemistry? You're saying we have chemistry?"

"Maybe," he shrugged. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Depends on what you mean. Are you flirting with me?"

He glanced over at me before shaking his head, a small grin on his face, "You're so difficult."

"Sorry."

"I like it," he interrupted. "Kind of unique, I guess."

"Me having a bad trait is unique?"

"I wouldn't really call it bad.. just challenging maybe?" 

"Stop being so philosophical."

"Stop being so difficult."

We looked at each other for a moment. 

Then we burst out into a fit of laughter.