Chapter One

The story begins with a recollection of Kenneth Whitley, and how his life goes from normal to completely new with a new guy appearing in his life.

The New Neighbor

      Lightning broke through a darkened grey sky, illuminating a sea of vines and thorns intertwined with each other on a destroyed rocky terrain. Fire fell off the sides of steep cliffs into the void of the universe as a large tower dominated the misty horizon. In a rapid shake and three deep gong sounds, wavy rings of light jetted from the center of the battlements with a whisper of a name in the rush of the wind.

      Kenny.  

      With a small gasp, an average heighted guy opened his eyes impatiently to still find himself waiting in a long grocery store line. He tore off a strand of thread from his fitted auburn shirt which complimented his khaki shorts, showing off his smooth caramel skin. Dark blue sunglasses rested on the top of his short, faded black hair. He gripped of a case of Budweiser in one hand, the other had an Angry Orchard. Two guys ahead of him were arguing with the cashier about the price of a reusable bag. Kenny kept checking the many text messages that vibrated in his pocket from his best friend, Shawn Harris, who was in the car waiting. 

      He had been friends with Shawn since birth because their mothers were best friends from high school. They had grown up in the same neighborhood of Miami, Florida and had gone to the same schools until high school, when Shawn had gone away to a military academy and Kenny went to a local public school. They were thick as thieves and typically when one was in trouble, the other was right behind him. During college the two started traveling to see each other, with Kenny in college in California and Shawn at an air force base in Virginia. After he met his previous partner at a club in San Francisco, he quit college and the two moved back to Miami for half a decade. After a huge break up, Kenny found himself broke and homeless so Shawn, now working for the FBI and living in Oakland, invited his best friend to live with him.

      Kenny was grateful to have Shawn in his life and with it always being strictly plutonic between the two, their bond was stronger than any metal. Plus, Shawn liked his guys small, hairless and feminine and he was far from both. He had finally approached the teller, who had annoyingly rung up two cases of beer, giving a half smile.

      “Identification, please.” She sighed heavily at Kenny’s full million dollar smile. He fished his Florida driver’s license out his pants pocket and when the cashier examined it, she quickly muttered,

      “Miami, huh? You don’t look thirty.”

      “Yes and I’ll be thirty one in less than six months. But I love birthdays and always-”

      “What are you doing in California?”

      “Oh, I decided to reinvent my life and start-”

      “Twelve eighty three.”

      Kenny lost his pleasant smile and made a face as he fished in his pocket again for a twenty. His text message alert vibrated again when he took the change and left out the store with an unreturned thanks, just the sound of his brown leather sandals flapping away and the beeps of registers.

      It was a partly cloudy day as a flock of herons flew over the grassy hills and the wind rippled through the trees and over houses. Downtown stood high over the lake like dwarves hovering over their gold with songs of horns blaring as the freeways tore in and out of the heart of the city with a large billboard that read ‘Inspire Oakland’. Foliage littered the streets while a cool warm breeze swayed the leaves gently. Sparkles of rays glittered over the bay and its bridges while ferries cut ripples into the serene reflection. The path around Lake Merritt was swarming with joggers and walkers alike, lost in their own world of earphone music as the herons passed overhead swiftly towards the bay. The grocery store sat at the junction of the lake and the Oakland Museum, with traffic filling up the parking lot.

      A white current model Jetta, which sat in the fire zone, started honking vigorously when he walked out. Shawn had rolled down the passenger side window and had the most fake expression of anger Kenny ever saw. Shawn was always dressed business casual like; half button up blue and white striped shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It protruded from his chocolate fit hairless chest and his fitted blue jeans showed signed of rigorous leg crunches. His dark sun glasses were already perched on his face as Kenny got into the car and placed the beers in the backseat.

      “Are we going to go or just sit illegally in the fire zone with that silly look on your face?”

      “Silly?” Shawn’s tenor voice muttered softly, “What the hell took you so long?”

      “It’s Friday afternoon and you wonder what took me so long in a grocery store all just to get two cases of beer from an unhappy cashier?”

      “Don’t get smart,” Shawn threw the car in gear and huffed at three families crossing in front of them.

      “That’s what you get,” Kenny chuckled, “Are we still going to Richmond to pick up Tonya?”

      “No, she’s getting dropped off at our place, remember?” Shawn began driving like a bat out of hell.

      “Your place and stop speeding!”

      Shawn scoffed as he sped down a busy street, weaving in and out of traffic.

      “You live there too now,” he started once they hit a red light, “Stop acting like you’re a nomad and settle into one place.”

      “And that one place just happens to be your place?”

      “Our place.”

      “I just moved in like a week ago-”

      “And that makes it somehow not your place because…?”

      They began speeding again but Kenny stayed silent.

      “Hello?” Shawn mocked, “Caller are you there?”

      “Shut up.”

      “Look,” Shawn turned on the radio but turned the volume to zero, “That William guy left you, after everything you gave his sorry a*s, with nothing but a pot to piss in. Just vanished! And then he yanked the pot back from you too! So you shut up with correcting me and just accept that you have a permeant place to stay.”

      Shawn spun onto a wraparound Forty Forth Street lined with two story narrow houses of different colors and wired back fences, with the exception of the grey one story abandoned house at the end of the curve. Pumpkins of scary, sad and happy faces were carved and lined many porches and lawns. Posters of witches and zombies were taped on windows and garages alike. Rows of trees lined with stretched out cotton in its branches lined the edge of the back end to protect from the unsightly view of the freeway, while a wide pink house welcomed you onto the street while yellow and blue pastel were typical colors. He jolted to the end of the first street to a green paneled house across from the abandoned house and onto a white rocked driveway and an uncarved pumpkin at the mailbox at the foot of the porch. White painted bars outlined the first floor and the trimming around the second story was a dim looking pearl.

      That’s where he shut the car off.

      “What was the point of turning on the radio?”

      “Get off my nuts, okay?”

      Kenny had carried the cases of beer out the car but before they had reached the long storm door on the lime green paneled bungalow, late twentieth century with white wood windows, it swung open and a short slender Latina walked out. Her hair was long, black and wavy, her eyes were light brown along with her shirtless jumper dress and flip flops.

      “How the hell did you get in my house?” Shawn’s face twisted at the woman as Kenny rolled his eyes behind his friends head as he passed to go into the house.

      “You ask that every time. I’ve been known how to break in for a while now: I just come in through Junior’s gate after I get off at MacArthur Bart. Then I jimmy your back lock with my hairpin just slightly to the left with a quick jab up and I’m in.” she hugged Kenny, taking a case of beer and waved Shawn away, “Hey Ken-doll.”

      “Hey Tonya.”

      If Shawn has known Kenny since birth, Tonya Brown-Bolaño has known him just as long. She was half black from her father and half Mexican from her mother but she hated her Mexican side all through high school. She refused to learn Spanish or celebrate the Mexican holidays, even to this day. The two met in high school once her family relocated from Los Angeles to Miami, subsequently when Shawn went off to military academy. After a huge feud that went on until the middle of freshman year, it ended in both being embarrassed in front of the student body.

      And then a solid bond was formed. Their fast and close friendship became the envy of the school. They were even voted ‘Most Likely To Remain BFFs’ and rumor floated that Kenny really wasn’t gay but was dating Tonya in secret. The two loved to gossip to each other at night about each new rumor they heard, sometimes under the stars at the beach or over the kitchen phone late at night. When one was in the principal’s office, the other was right next to them. They had even got suspended for cheating off each other’s state test in junior year, to which the principal found humor in it.

      (“You two would die on a ship together, wouldn’t you?”)

      Kenny often would come to her for advice at how to deal with his younger brother, Martin’s, girlfriend issues, so he could seem to be the better brother over their older brother, Malcolm. Tonya too happily helped. She even would stop by once or twice, but her unfiltered mouth would always get her kicked out, although she remained wildly popular with Kenny’s siblings. Before Kenny came out to his parents at sixteen, Tonya had agreed to pose as his girlfriend so they had more time to play cards in his room or computer games in the family room. Once Kenny came out, he confessed he and Tonya lied and Shawn joked that he and him were lovers in front of Kenny’s overly religious parents.

      Needless to say, those two were no longer welcome back, so they all started meeting at Johnny Rockets after school.

      When Shawn first met Tonya in junior year, he summed her up by caller her ‘a fire cracker stuffed in a spicy enchilada’ and the two clicked. He was instantly in love with her unfiltered vocabulary because he thought anyone who pushed against societies boundaries deserved his company. Even though high school friendships came and faded or survived the first four years but not adult life, Tonya and Shawn never faltered away.

      They never lost touch and they never stopped being friends.

       “Remind myself to get a dog,” he muttered into a small recorder taken from his back pants pocket, before abruptly stuffing it away and walking in, “Where is Junior, speaking of?”

      After high school, Tonya went back to Los Angeles, Shawn joined the military and Kenny went to college at Cal State in Hayward, California where he met his next three good friends; Junior, Theodore and Jerry. Johnson Ross, who goes by Junior because of his initials, first met Kenny in calculus class when the latter was a freshmen. Junior was from Jamaica with little accent left. He had smoky gray eyes, towered at six feet, one inch of milk chocolate, short locks and was very broad in the shoulders. He had just become a proud father and a very vocal bisexual. He loved to wear fitted suits or business casual outfits year round when he wasn’t in football gear. His temper was short and the unlucky few have been on the receiving end of the rhino’s rage. Kenny witnessed all of them.

      He seemed to take a huge likening to Kenny because he would bring out a calm that was dormant for a long time. This made Junior’s current best friend, Theodore Mathis, very jealous. Theodore was a short, freckled faced, pale, second generation, green eyed, gingered German-American and he usually would cuss people out in Dutch or German, whichever he felt at the time. Kenny’s oblivious nature seemed to deflate Theodore’s effeminate hissy fits and over time, he would see the light in friendship with him. Junior loved to have two of his closest friends getting along so he made them his son’s, Madison, god fathers. As sophomore year rolled in, Kenny joined a fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and was given his Big, Jericho ‘Jerry’ Edelstein, who was very handsome, very lean and very straight. He was a tall (though shorter than Junior) brown curly haired law student from New York City and wore tinted, square glasses that brought out his blue eyes and tan skin. Once the two had shared a secret to each other that caused a new found respect for the other, their friendship was sealed as well.

      Shawn and Tonya met Kenny’s college entourage during his twenty first birthday and on that very night, an electric pulse surged through the group when the last guest arrived and they each knew what real friends looked like. 

      Even now, Junior is very protective of the people he opens his heart to and so when Shawn bought his house on Forty-Fourth Street, he found a rental house directly behind on the cul-de-sac on Forty-Fifth Street and got an eighth grade teaching job down the street at a nearby charter school. Shawn found this annoying especially when he would show up from work and unannounced guests were in his kitchen. Sometimes it was Junior, other times it was Teddy but most of the time it was Tonya, however Jerry lived too far.

      “Junior said something about meeting us there at the park,” Tonya followed the two into the kitchen just down the hall from the front door beside the narrow steps, “I think he wants to get the decorations set up.”

      “What decorations? We are going to be in the middle of a damn national park.” Shawn perched his sunglasses on his bald held revealing his dark brown eyes. He pulled out a cooler from the pantry with an elongated wooden door and passed it to Kenny, who had retrieve two bags of ice from the stainless steel double door fridge. Tonya just shrugged as she leaned against the marble island separating her from the boys and placed the Angry Orchard in front of her.

      “You know Mr. Over-Due-It, its Jerry’s birthday and you know how much he loves celebrations.” She had a tired tone in her voice as she got opened a bottle of beer on the side of the marble. Shawn had started placing beers in the cooler as Kenny poured ice on top.

      “As much as this one,” Shawn motioned his head toward Kenny.

      “Yes, okay, I love parties and birthdays. It’s the one day a year that’s all about you and the day you became one with the world.” Kenny started fantasizing away but was jolted back to reality with a snap of Shawn’s fingers.

      “Focus! Your spilling ice!”

      “Shawn, did I ever tell you that you are an a*****e?” Kenny said coolly.

      “Don’t forget pig-headed!” Tonya chimed in, taking another swig.

      “And arrogant.” Kenny added, nodding to Tonya.

      “Anal retentive.”

      “I do love my anal.”

      Everyone laughed.

      “That’s disgusting.” Kenny joked as Shawn closed the cooler. The three packed the Jetta with the cooler, a picnic basket of roast beer or turkey sandwiches and a small folded card table. Kenny toted a small beige satchel that Shawn rolled his eyes at every time he saw it. As the boys made a final run into the house for some blankets, Tonya was calling for them from outside.

      “Shawn! Kenny! Come look at this!”

      They had only just got to the opening of the storm door when they saw that a tall black haired business woman jabbing a ‘For Sale’ sign onto the abandoned lawn, overgrown with weeds and crab grass. She smiled and waved politely.

      “About goddamn time they are doing something with that house.” Shawn said.

      “Oh!” Kenny looked at the time on his cell phone, “Its three! We need to leave now! Jerry will be at the park in an hour.”

 

      And without another word, Shawn pushed Kenny out the house, locked up and they were speeding down the highway, weaving in and out of traffic. Every once and a while, Shawn would yell out a curse to another driver and Kenny would scold him but Tonya would laugh. Minutes later, they were parked next to a black Camaro and had met Teddy and Junior on the outer edge of Redwood National Park in the Oakland Hills.

      Junior had put up a large pop up tent that had blue and yellow streamers and solar lights in the shapes of suns dangling from the edges and the rims. He had red and black streamers webbing out from the point of the tip to the closest branches of redwood. Suns dangled from a few branches and a Happy Birthday banner hung on a large bush with small rope. He was on a step ladder, long locks pulled in a ponytail, adjusting streamers on the inside the tent as Teddy was stretched out on a lawn chair, sipping on red wine from a water bottle and sunglasses on.

      “Hey guys!” Junior beamed as he stepped off and hugged everyone.

      “You did all this in an hour?” Kenny, with his satchel around his waist, placed the cooler under the tent as Shawn unfolded the card table and Tonya sheeted them with the checkered blanket and placed the picnic basket on top.

      “I actually took half a day and came straight here.”

      “Poor kids subjected to a half of day of substitutes,” Shawn sarcastically muttered.

      “He has to overdue everything!” Teddy stammered.

      “Aye! I said the same thing earlier!” Tonya exclaimed.

      “I do not!”

      “You kind of do,” Shawn frowned looking around at everything.

      “It doesn’t matter,” Kenny hugged Teddy, “Jerry will love it. Especially the color of our fraternity and the school colors.”

      Junior smiled and pulled out a deck of cards from his backpack that Teddy was sitting overtop of.

      “Could you get the chairs for me please, Teddy?”

      “Get your lazy a*s up and make yourself useful, you lush.” Shawn scoffed at Teddy’s glare but silently wobbled up and staggered to the car. Once they had the chairs set up, Junior set out four decks of thirteen cards face down, leaving no spare cards in the center. Kenny began rummaging in his satchel and counting silently to himself.

      “What you looking for in that bag?” Teddy hiccupped.

      “Nothing!” Kenny snapped the bag shut and blushed. Shawn rolled his eyes and sat down.

      “His weed. Are you in this game or not?”

      Everyone giggled as Kenny blushed when he sat.

      “Yeah, it is my weed. I was making sure I had everything ready for Jerry, you know.”

      “I don’t care, just light up! And pass it my way when you’re done.” Teddy slurred.

      “Once Jerry gets here.”

      They began playing a card game called Bullshit, or to Junior who doesn’t cuss ‘I Doubt It’, to which Shawn declared himself the lead. Everyone immediately began protesting the self-claimed titled, including Teddy, who was lounged on his lawn chair with his water bottle of wine. They voted on Junior being the lead to which Shawn now had a protest. But it fell on deaf ears as Junior began the play in the midst of Shawn’s uproar. He quickly steamed off as his turn came and they played for twenty minutes before a luxury beige Sedan pulled beside Shawn’s Jetta and out popped a dark haired, perfect smiled guy.

      Jerry was dressed like he came straight from work; three piece suit, shiny black shoes and head full of curly brown hair pulled backwards. He wore a tie with a birthday cake of pink frosting and one candle against a powder blue shirt. Kenny met him in a tight hug as he greeted the rest of the group.

      “Sorry I didn’t have time to change,” Jerry quickly began when he saw the puzzled looks, “Alice’s nanny was running late and I had a last minute client of all days when I had to fire the front desk girl. She was monstrous when it came to her work so it’s no big loss, really.”

      He sat in Kenny’s open spot as Shawn has remotely opened his trunk for an extra seat stashed away.

      “We are not here to talk about work,” Junior dealt the cards once more, “It’s your birthday!”

      Jerry casually waved him away as he took off his jacket.

      “Eh, I don’t care too much for this day today. I say we celebrate Kenny’s return!”

      “No, we bought a cake.” Shawn sternly implied.

      Kenny sat right at his side.

      “Oh, don’t be such a sour puss.” He jokingly mocked.

      “Get away from me.”

      “Sorry, I already sat here and claimed this spot.” Kenny winked at a chuckling Junior.

      “For real, I mean we have birthdays every single year.” Jerry looked at his cards, “What are we playing?”

      “Bullshit.” Kenny answered.

      “The proper name is I Doubt It.” Junior cleared his throat at the curse word.

      “Bullshit.” Tonya smiled.

      “Please stop.”

      “Bullshit.” Shawn joined.

      “Look guys-”

      “BULL….S**T!” Teddy fell over and began snoring.

      “So anyways,” Shawn sighed, “Let’s all just leave Mister Do-Good-All-The-Time alone before he starts pouting.”

      Everyone but Junior snickered.

      “Okay,” Jerry interjected placing his queen down, “How about this, we celebrate my birthday today and I will throw a shin-dig for our dear friend’s return to the West.”

      “What the hell did you say?” Shawn placed down a king.

      “A party.” Jerry eyed Kenny’s satchel and a huge child-like smile spread, “Is that…?”

      “Yes,” Kenny smiled and placed down a two of hearts.

      “Light up!” Tonya yelled, “We ain’t got all night.”

      “It’s ‘we don’t have all night’ to be correct.” Junior placed down an Ace of Spades to which Tonya gave him the bird. Kenny had used this time to pull out a rainbow pipe with plastic wrap keeping the green plant in the bowl. For this he moved between Tonya and Jerry while the game continued.

      “You always have to be so goddamn literal, don’t you?” Shawn barked softly.

      “Why are you so morose and use such derogatory language?” Junior sighed, “We are black men and should be proud of our heritage by not using such foul uneducated language. We are in this country as oppressed-”

        “Shut the f**k up.” Shawn grumpily placed down another king, “I’m sorry. Please dear proud black man, shut the f**k up.”

      “You ain’t right.” Tonya took a hit and placed down a five of diamonds, “Wait a minute, I’m sorry, it’s ‘you isn’t right’, correct?”

      “Anyways,” Kenny did the same but he put down a three of spades, “So what has been new with everyone since I have been in God’s armpit?”

      “Madison is team captain on his football team,” Junior proudly stated.

      “Your son’s in high school now, right?” Jerry put down an Ace of Hearts to which Junior challenged.

      “And yes, he’s in the ninth grade.”

      “Damn, time flies.”

      “You see I got the house that someone hasn’t been able to stay out or away from.” Shawn wide eyed Tonya.

      “Phoebe and I are on the rocks right now.” Tonya rebutted as the game ended, “Your place is cozier and gayer.”

      “When aren’t you guys, or girls, guys, girls on the rocks?”

      “Shut up Shawn. Let’s see you get and keep a relationship first.”

      “I don’t have time to waste on that bullshit. Ha! See how I did that?”

      “Alice has started preschool and she loves her new friends.” Jerry beamed to Kenny as Junior restarted another game grumpily.

      They played for a few more hours, even after the sun went down and the cold settled in. Teddy was passed out on the chair and given a heavy blanket by Junior while Shawn had brought out two portal fire pit that he placed by Junior and another by Jerry. Tonya had brought her fur coat and Kenny had a beanie and sweat shirt stashed in the trunk in a small suit case. After the card game finally ended, they brought out a Baskin & Robins cake from the back of Junior’s car and they all sang Jerry a happy birthday.

      The friends enjoyed talking about everything in their own space together. Especially their problems: Tonya voiced her concern with her failing relationship and Junior worried about his evaluation coming up. Shawn was concerned with his job’s drug test from all the weed the three were smoking but was really worried about his health. Jerry hated his job and even though he started it, he wanted to be done with it.

      Kenny was silent the entire time.

      “What about you?” Junior took a swig of his Angry Orchard.

      “Oh,” Kenny blushed, “I have been having this strange and weird dream.”

      “About what?” Jerry had packed another bowl.

      “I am lost in this jungle. It’s not dead but I can tell everything in the jungle is withered. As I proceed through, the vines and brush just become too thick. My hands get cut and pretty soon I’m lost. Then I wake up.”

      Everyone remained silent now.

      “I mean, I have it every night and each night is another part of the dream. Like I am watching a daily thriller.”

      “I have a dream book you could read.” Shawn said as he opened his Budweiser, “It’s in my room on the floor somewhere.”

      “That’s not surprising,” Kenny scoffed, “You kept your room like that as kids. I remember always hearing your mother yelling-”

      “Okay!” Shawn bellowed as laughter ensued, “We aren’t talking about me anymore. So tell us why did you really leave Miami?”

      “Yeah, we don’t believe that bit about your roommate getting a movie deal and you having to move. Weren’t you living with William? Doesn’t your brother own like three houses?” Tonya joined.

      “Willie and I broke up like at the beginning of the year, remember? I was living in Fort Lauderdale. And no, Malcolm owns one house in South Beach that’s his and the other is my parents he bought for them.”

      “Lies.” Shawn coughed to which Kenny made a face.

      “Fine! I was tired of living and paying rent in that cold lonely apartment that belonged to that cheating b*****d!”

      “Truth.” Shawn smiled, “And plus your brother has a condo in Palm Beach.”

      “You still haven’t heard from him since the break up?” Junior passed Jerry a beer like his, talking over Shawn purposely.

      Kenny shook his head (after shooting Shawn a questionable look) and sighed.

      “Phone was disconnected, his job said he never came back in but his family said they had heard from him but I don’t know. I figured he ran off with the little Spanish tart he left me for and it was on the day right after we slept together.”

      “I can find him.” Shawn had pulled out his phone and began dialing.

      “Stop! No, I don’t care anymore. Let him stay gone for all I care.”

      Shawn smacked his lips and stuffed it back in his coat pocket.

      “If you want to sue, I will work with and for you pro bono.” Jerry smiled and patted Kenny’s back.

      “Thanks but I truly am over it.”

 

      The evening had set well into the eight o’clock hour before they cleaned up and broke down the gathering and parted ways. Jerry headed back to San Francisco while Junior took Tonya home since he had to go that direction to take drunken Teddy to Emeryville. Once Shawn and Kenny made it back, they noticed that the abandoned house had a Sold sign on it but were too tired to care.

      Kenny’s room was the only room upstairs with a laundry closet adjacent to his door. The walls were painted a golden yellow color with white trimmings. Short vertical blinds covered both windows in the room. The first looked out toward the hills and the rest of the houses on the street. A double door sat directly to the right as you walked in to which Kenny never closed. It was his walk in closet and every time he walked in the room, he undressed and threw them in the closet anywhere. Another door sat in front of the bed which led to the marble bathroom with a bathtub and standing shower. It too was gold and white.

        He had boxes still packed on top of each other; with a few open ones on top marked ‘Important’, five on the bottom marked ‘Books’, the other few marked ‘Clothes’ or ‘Misc.’. However, there was enough room to maneuver around to the bed by the furthest window. It faced the front yard and the abandoned house across the street had a backyard full of dead leaves. Kenny wondered what the new neighbors would be like and thought he saw someone stirring in the back but he drifted off to sleep.

      And the dream began again.

 

      He was dressed in nothing but his Miami Heat pajamas in the middle of a gloomy, foggy jungle that was extremely over grown with vines and foliage. It was difficult to find the path and after many failed attempts, Kenny gave up and sat against a large root. He buried his head in his hands and groaned loudly when a small sparkling female black-chinned hummingbird with a red tail hovered around his head. After a few swats to shoo her away, she perched right on his knees, ruffled her feathers and pecked.

      Reluctantly, Kenny paid her attention and she happily fluttered off to the right into the jungle. And that’s when he saw the rocky path underneath the brush and he sprang up to follow it. The hummingbird would constant come back to Kenny and then fly off in a different direction. He followed the uneven terrain, climbing over roots, pulling tangled vines apart that crumpled at his touch.

      The sky was not much brighter than the jungle and there were no stars out. Just a hidden faint light above the cloudy night. Kenny was growing frustrated with the hummingbirds constant changing directions and just when he was about to protest, he ran into a thick wall of vine. The hummingbird was hovering at the very top and Kenny could see a pulsating light from the other side. But just when he was peeking through the vines to see the light, he was awoken by the beams of morning.

      The digital clock that was wedged between the wall and the bed flickered that it was now eight in the morning on a Saturday. Kenny cussed at the sun and them himself for not closing the blinds, but he immediately noticed something out the window. The sold abandoned house was freshly manicured and a few rose bushes lined the walkway. Flowers of all kinds had sprouted around the entire house and the backyard was free of leaves. The house was painted two shades of orange; peach looking color on the base and auburn on the trimming and designs.

      But he didn’t see any sign of someone moved in yet by there being no curtains and just thought the new owners hired professional gardeners. Bored at spying and now fully awake, Kenny threw on some gray sweatpants and walked down the velvet carpeted stairs into the kitchen. Shawn’s room entrance was between the fridge and the door-less cabinets but his bedroom door was always closed. The fridge was top of the line and ice would always be dispensed in perfect cubes, diamonds or crushed. The freezer was a huge drawer at the bottom and the double stainless steel doors opened up to an empty inside.

      Two eggs, half carton of milk and a wrapped up sandwich greeted him. Even the sides only housed a garlic clove and a stick of butter. Kenny sighed and pulled out the milk, shuffled to the pantry behind him and pulled out the generic form of Raisin Bran. As he ate at the island, the dream kept replaying in his head along with questions.

      What was that light? Where did that hummingbird come from? Why did he keep having this dream?

      After the second bowl of cereal, he heard a small sound of clicking behind him and then the back door swung open. Junior and Madison came toting bags of Trader Joe’s groceries in. Madison looked just like his father, except a lot skinner with more hair on his head. He was sporting his red and gold jersey with the number nine on the back and his last name ‘Ross’ above it while his dad had on a black leather jacket, blue jeans and a burnt orange sweater. Kenny’s presence at the island startled them.

      “We didn’t think you guys would be up,” Junior started placing the bags on the island and putting food away, “Tonya told me about you guys Old Mother Hubbard fridge and so I thought I’d surprise you with food. Our way of saying welcome back.”

      “Thanks but Shawn is still sleep so keep it down a little,” Kenny groggily replied, “I had that dream again but then I woke up before something else was about to happen and wasn’t able to go back to sleep after.”

      “Dreams, Uncle Kenny?” Madison chimed with his alto voice, “I have been doing a lot of research on dreams and the meanings of them.”

      “Really?”

      “Madison put the groceries away while you talk, please.”

      “You know, I can manage it myself, Junior.”

      “No, don’t even think of it. Plus, this was our surprise remember? You just happened to foil it.”

      Kenny shrugged and gave his attention back to the teenager, who eagerly began explaining how dreams all had meaning and each item represents something. He got really excited when he began explaining how the meanings combined mean one big meaning for the dream. And recurring dreams were a premonition of things to come. Abruptly, Shawn shuffled out in his checkered pajamas from his room like a zombie, toward the Keurig, loaded it and closed himself back into his room.

      “Hold on,” Kenny told Madison as he jolted into Shawn’s room and began rummaging thru the mess of clothes by the bare dresser. His friend was sleepily hunched at his desktop and didn’t look up. A badge, pager and dismantled automatic gun lay sprawled out on the bed with an open laptop thrown lazily on top of it all.

      “What are you doing in my room?”

      “Where’s that book you were telling me about?”

      “Beats me. Somewhere under those piles.” Shawn pointed toward the other side of the room at another huge pile. Junior and Madison were chatting softly in the background about basketball.

      “When will you clean this room?”

      “When you clean yours. Plus, all these clothes are clean so stop stepping on them!”

      “All of them?”

      “Yes, the dirty ones are in the laundry room already, duh.”

      Kenny rolled his eyes, hopped on the bed to escape the clothes covered floor, and swung two big handfuls of shirts out the way but didn’t find anything. At that moment, the coffee machine beeped and Shawn sprang up and sprinted out before Kenny had any time to complain. He huffed and threw the clothes in his clutch against the wall which caused a penny to roll out of a chest pocket and under the bed.

      The slight thunk attracted Kenny to look and see a book under the bed. He quickly pulled it out and hugged ‘102 Meanings to Dreams’ in victory.

      “Okay, here it is.” He said to Madison, who was eating a bowl of cereal now at the island. Junior and Shawn were both drinking coffee on opposite sides of the room; one instant, the other Keurig. Kenny opened it to the J section.

      “To drea’ hat you er in a ‘ungle-” Madison chomped.

      “Don’t talk with your mouth full, son.”

      The teenager swallowed and proceeded on.

      “To dream that you are in a jungle signifies pieces of yourself and your personality that may be inhibited. Are you inhibited, Uncle Kenny?”

      Kenny slowly shrugged, now in deep thought.

      “Okay so it says here; you may be experiencing some chaos and unpredictable circumstances in your waking life.”

      “That would probably mean me and William.”

      “William and I.” Junior corrected.

      Kenny rolled his eyes as Madison continued.

      “If you are lost or trapped in the jungle, then it indicates that your negative feelings are hindering your progress.”

      Shawn sipped his coffee and leaned against the counter.

      “The game is on.” He said with a bored undertone to Junior.

      “Who’s playing?”

      “Seahawks and Vikings.”

      “Come on.”

      And the two jolted down the hallway into the living room and disappeared out of sight. Madison looked at Kenny with pleading eyes, to which he reluctantly waved him away. The teenager rushed out the kitchen with his bowl and disappeared into the room of flashing television lights. Kenny turned the book to the H section and read about hummingbirds: suggesting that seemingly small ideas and concepts can possess vast potential and power. That they would also lead him to a new change.

      He inhaled deeply and stared out the kitchen window. A small hummingbird hovered for a second in focus and then buzzed off, which was odd to Kenny after all this dream interpretations. He sprung out the back door and was amazed by what he saw. Flocks of hummingbirds were flying in the breeze over the house toward the front. They snaked in the sky and were nesting in the trees above the un-abandoned house.

      It was a magnificent sight to see. Some of the birds had purple heads, some were rainbow all over and others were many shades of brown. And then a small rainbow dragonfly flew in front of his face and zoomed off in an instant.

      Kenny went in suddenly as the birds had all nested in the trees. He heard a huge scream from the living room about a ‘foul play’ and ‘why is no one calling it’. It was Junior’s voice. Another yell came again and it was cheers from Madison and Shawn. Kenny was very perplexed at the flocks of hummingbirds and was proceeding up the stairs to his room, with the dream book under his arms, when a firm knock startled him.

      “I got it!” He called to the peering guys in the living room, as he looked out the mini blinds and it was a very tall unfamiliar gentleman with glasses. When he opened the door, the gentleman was even taller about six feet four and smelled like an intoxicating combination of lilac and lavender. His smile was infectious and perfect with a small gap in his front teeth. His frameless oval glasses covered his brown eye that fit perfectly on his brown skin. He wore a ball cap fitted on his head with a British flag slightly to the left, a silver flying hummingbird pendant against his neck bone and was dressed in a brown sweat shirt with a hood coming from out the back. His jeans were a deep blue denim and a pair of scratched up Nikes covered his feet. A Whole Foods bag was clutched in his left hand while his right was extended out.

      “Hello, I’m your new neighbor that moved in across the street. Well obviously, right? My name is Andre but why be so formal, ya know? My friends call me Christian.” Greeted a slightly accented deep voice.

      Kenny was so taken while he shook Christian’s hands and returned the smile. He felt a quick flutter pass through his heart.

      “Why Christian?”

      “Oh, I didn’t mention? It’s my middle name,”

      “Ah,” They still had their hands and eyes locked with no rush to break, “Nice to meet you, I’m Kenny the formal being Kenneth, which I utterly hate being called. I just moved in with my best friend Shawn last week. Both first names. Nice necklace, by the way.” A nervous laughter escaped but Christian chuckled. It almost was like time slowed down to them both.

      “Great to meet you, Kenny, and it was my great grandmother’s. Oh here, my greeting gift.”

      Christian broke the hold to hand Kenny the Whole Foods bag, who immediately opened it.              

      “It’s just some bread, potatoes, carrots, and some canned fruits. I didn’t really know what was appropriate.”

      “Thanks. It’s perfect. I appreciate it.”

      Kenny stared dreamily at Christian, who remained smiling.

      “Who is this in my house?” Shawn came bellowing in, with Junior at the heel.

      “Our new neighbor, Christian.” Kenny disconsolately introduced as Christian shook hands, “Shawn. Junior. And his son, Madison is glued to the television in there.”

      “Thank you for fixing that f*****g eyesore of a house.” Shawn greeted and Junior groaned.

      “Anytime. Great to meet you all.” Christian cleared his throat and turned to leave, “I just stopped by to introduce myself-”

      “You into football?” Junior asked abruptly.

      “Who’s playing?”

      “Seahawks and Vikings.”

      “I’m in.” Christian strutted in slowly, smiling again as he passed Kenny, who blushed deeply closing the door and taking the bag into the kitchen.

      “You’re from London?” Junior questioned as Kenny returned and they each sat down on the wrap around leather couch. Madison was in a small recliner on the far side, still glued to the television that hung over the ash filled fireplace. Framed paintings of boats and observatories decorated the walls with plants everywhere.

      “Born there but I grew up in Winchester. Lost my accent when I came here for college.”

      “I can still hear a little.” Kenny pointed out softly.

      Shawn rolled his eyes.

      “Aren’t you going to offer the guest in our home something to drink?”

      “Oh, now it’s our house again?” Kenny turned to Christian, who was sitting on his right, “Would you care for anything to drink?”

      “Water would be great, thank you.”

      The entire time he filled the glass with filtered water from the fridge, he blushed thinking of the new neighbor and how gorgeous he looked. But the feeling ran deeper than the physical attraction. It felt like something had somehow attached itself to his chest. Heavy and light, flawless yet imperfect, giggles with sighs. And when he returned with the drink, they all were glued to the television, yelling or cheering at the play. At that moment, when Christian took the cup and smiled again, Kenny felt an odd feeling pass over him. He felt completely safe and comfortable. No care and no worry affected him. Strength welded in his heart and a smile spread widely across his face.

He knew then, his future was about to change somehow in some way. And while he couldn’t prove it, he knew this new neighbor was going to be the start of it all.

            

Author's Note

Tell me what you think

Reviews

[Kelsey Schadt]

Hi! I have some suggestions for you

1) Looking at the opening if this chapter "It was a partly cloudy day over the grassy hills of Oakland, California as the afternoon sun glistened over the ripples of trees and houses. The lake was swarming with joggers and walkers alike, lost in their own world of earphone music as the herons passed overhead swiftly towards the bay"

I appreciate appreciate all the imagery, but using partly cloudy and sun glistened in same sentence seems contradictory. I would also say the path around the lake was swarming with joggers rather than the lake was swarming with joggers.


It is in this neighborhood do ("that: might sound better) we find the oblivious Host, Kenneth

I was a bit overwhelmed with the description of Kenneth--maybe give a little now, and reveal more as the story goes.

I am noticing some errors in conventions--perhaps another read through to tidy up. I recommend reading it outloud; since you probably already know what you want to say, sometimes hearing it can help.
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I very much appreciated the dialogue. I think it give a reader a nice break from the narration and a better chance to understand the characters' relationships.

It is clear in your writing that you are visualizing everything as your write, but as a reader I felt inundated with the description. I also suggest that, for a site like this, you will get more reviews if you break your chapters into smaller chunks. I've been frustrated with the amount of reviews I give yet rarely get any back, and I know it has alot to do with the fact that most people don't have the time to read long chapters.

You clearly have strong writing skills! Keep it up!

[Jonny B. Mitchell]

First of all, thank you very much for taking the time to review. I am so glad to hear your suggestions and will apply them because they do sound better. Thanks again! And second, I take time to review others so count on me.

[Kelsey Schadt]

I appreciate it!