The lounge room was spacious, with a view of the city. The tall man, Oliver, stepped into the kitchen and took some notes, ‘small oven’ and ‘new dishwasher’. He inspected the bedroom which, despite a few marks on the wall, had heating ducts and lots of closet space. Overall the apartment was satisfactory considering the price.
The grass outside was wet; it had rained in the afternoon. A short man named Frank wore a soft brown coat. His hair was grey and messy. People looked at him from time to time but he didn’t mind, he was old and didn’t see the point in keeping up appearances. He noticed the park sign had been knocked over again. That was the third time this month. Teenagers in this city were getting wilder every day. He walked over to the sign and propped it back up.
'That’s better' He thought. Just then, the breeze started to get cool and Frank rugged up his coat and moved along.
Oliver checked his watch; new with a leather strap, it had been a gift from his wife. He waited impatiently behind a line of prospective renters as they asked the real estate agents inane questions.
'Does the building offer private storage containers?', 'Would our German shepherd be allowed to live in the apartment?' He wanted to be able to push in front so he could just grab an application but he knew it would be uncivil so he let out an audible sigh and checked his watch again.
Frank stood, hunched over, and watched as the sun set over the park. He wandered through the expansive landscape, past his favourite bench, which had now been occupied by a couple of business men enjoying some quick takeout. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crinkled cigarette, in his other pocket he had a lighter. It took a few tries to get the cigarette
lit with his shaky hands, but once lit, the tobacco calmed his nerves. With a groan, he crouched down at the base of a tall tree, bunching the bottom of his jacket up underneath him as he tried to stay dry.
People hurried past,
'The park gets really dangerous at night' a mother murmured to her son. She ushered her son across the grass, avoiding eye contact with the short man.
Oliver reached into his suit pocket and checked his phone. There were two new messages; he would check them as soon as he could get out of there. He finally reached the front of the line and swiftly took an application form from the blonde real estate agent.
Despite the apartment’s flaws, he was pretty sure his wife would like it. She always wanted to live somewhere with a view. Since they moved to the city, they had been staying in his mother’s spare room and were looking for a place to call home.
As it started to get dark, the short man hoisted himself back up again. He shambled through the park for a safe place to sleep. Past the shady guy in the hooded jumper and away from the public toilets which were known to be a popular spot for vandals. Eventually he found a bench on the edge of the park, close enough to the police station for him to feel safe. The park was a dangerous place at night but it was also home.
The grass outside was wet; it had rained in the afternoon. A short man named Frank wore a soft brown coat. His hair was grey and messy. People looked at him from time to time but he didn’t mind, he was old and didn’t see the point in keeping up appearances. He noticed the park sign had been knocked over again. That was the third time this month. Teenagers in this city were getting wilder every day. He walked over to the sign and propped it back up.
'That’s better' He thought. Just then, the breeze started to get cool and Frank rugged up his coat and moved along.
Oliver checked his watch; new with a leather strap, it had been a gift from his wife. He waited impatiently behind a line of prospective renters as they asked the real estate agents inane questions.
'Does the building offer private storage containers?', 'Would our German shepherd be allowed to live in the apartment?' He wanted to be able to push in front so he could just grab an application but he knew it would be uncivil so he let out an audible sigh and checked his watch again.
Frank stood, hunched over, and watched as the sun set over the park. He wandered through the expansive landscape, past his favourite bench, which had now been occupied by a couple of business men enjoying some quick takeout. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crinkled cigarette, in his other pocket he had a lighter. It took a few tries to get the cigarette
lit with his shaky hands, but once lit, the tobacco calmed his nerves. With a groan, he crouched down at the base of a tall tree, bunching the bottom of his jacket up underneath him as he tried to stay dry.
People hurried past,
'The park gets really dangerous at night' a mother murmured to her son. She ushered her son across the grass, avoiding eye contact with the short man.
Oliver reached into his suit pocket and checked his phone. There were two new messages; he would check them as soon as he could get out of there. He finally reached the front of the line and swiftly took an application form from the blonde real estate agent.
Despite the apartment’s flaws, he was pretty sure his wife would like it. She always wanted to live somewhere with a view. Since they moved to the city, they had been staying in his mother’s spare room and were looking for a place to call home.
As it started to get dark, the short man hoisted himself back up again. He shambled through the park for a safe place to sleep. Past the shady guy in the hooded jumper and away from the public toilets which were known to be a popular spot for vandals. Eventually he found a bench on the edge of the park, close enough to the police station for him to feel safe. The park was a dangerous place at night but it was also home.
