12 July 2012
Jack yanked open his curtains, letting in another glorious Linestone day. Phil was already working in the garden. He heard Jack open his bedroom window and to his surprise, Phil flashed him a smile, half waving with the arm he used to shield his eyes from the bright morning sun.
"Oh, maybe it was just a bad night for both of us" thought Jack, waving back. He was relieved that Phil appeared to be his usual self this morning. He jumped into the shower and made a quick breakfast before settling down to his last paragraph about anti-social behavior. He was stumped on how he would conclude his piece and had put it off for far too long. The deadline for submissions was 3pm and if he didn't have anything, the company he worked for would use an intern's submission. It was an Internet article and they weren't extremely strict about it. Late submissions gave younger people a chance to have their articles used and it cost them 85% less. Jack was all for interns getting a chance but it also cost him a day's pay and he couldn't afford to miss out on that now. He wrote a weekly two-page spread for a magazine called Rush. It was a city-based magazine but Jack's job was to research and compare destinations around the world so not living in the city didn't affect his work.
It was interesting research. Jack learned about different cultures and traditions but his favourite area was comparison. It always interested him to know the price differences and most fascinating of all, the seemingly meaningless habits or gestures that meant something entirely different in other places. The job didn't quite pay the bills though so Jack also wrote three or four articles a week on a range of topics for the magazine's website. It wasn't exactly his dream job but it helped cover his bills and paid for his canvases and paints.
Eventually, Jack emailed the article and put the kettle on. It was iced coffee time after all. He mixed together a small amount of boiling water and a spoonful of instant coffee in a glass, then added milk and ice. It was very refreshing during warm weather.
"Hey Phil!" Jack called from his patio door. Phil hopped the fence with ease. They sat at Jack's unusual garden furniture set. It was a hand-crafted gift from Phil. The chairs were currently small temporary tree stumps and table was a large tree trunk that Phil had moulded into an hourglass shape before bringing it over. He worked a little on it every day, etching fine details along the side and burning shadows into the wood. It was quite exquisite. The top was already finished and Phil had secured glass across the magnificent design, preserving the intricate craftsmanship. After weeks of casual break-time etching, it had taken the form of a wolf on a cliff, howling at the moon, which reflected beautifully in a small body of water at the bottom of the cliff. They were both quite proud of it. Jack had sketched the design. Now, Phil etched woodland creatures, fairies and forestry along the round support.
"So... Um.. Was everything ok last night?" Jack had to ask. It was very unusual behaviour for Phil so it couldn't have been nothing. He was usually calm, happy. He had never treated Jack with anything but friendliness.
"Oh" Phil's face filled with guilt. "Yeah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take my mood out on you. Mothers, right?" Phil rolled his eyes. His mother was a recurring topic in their chats. Phil was from Linestone. He lived in his family home only a two-minute walk away until his mother forced him to get his own place in February. Phil did a hilarious impression of her dramatically condemning her back garden. She couldn't stand that her lawn was covered in sawdust and there was always a piece of unfinished furniture "strewn about". Truth be told, she didn't feel strongly enough about it to kick him out but she didn't want to make it all about her desire for grandchildren.
Now, every phone call was about having dinner with some snooty princess he had gone to school with. Phil had no interest in those women. He wanted to be with someone who cared more about their goals than how they would be judged once the village folk caught wind of their decisions. He lived in Linestone all of his life. He knew the people and their ways and he didn't want to live that way. Eventually, he could see himself getting out of here. Renting a warehouse and work on making a career out of his small business. That's why he liked Jack so much. He was a big city boy in Phil's eyes. He didn't judge Phil because he hadn't found a girl he wanted to settle down with or because he hadn't taken out a mortgage on a house near his mother. Jack was all for people living how they saw fit and Phil was grateful for his refreshing attitude and cloudless optimism. Jack didn't feel the need to gossip or belittle and that was an a trait he admired immensely.
During the first few weeks they were getting to know each other, Phil wanted to know more and more about Jack's outlook. It had freed him from the invisible ropes tying him to Linestone. Before he moved in next door, a warehouse closer to a city was just a daydream, now it was a plan. He had never thanked Jack for the huge change he made in his life. He hadn't even explained it to him. With that thought, he felt another wave of guilt as he realized how open Jack had been and how little he himself had shared.
"How was the date?" Phil was interested. "It was awful. The guy lied about his age and his personality. He was nothing like his profile. His photo must be ten or fifteen years old!" Jack replied. "Online dating can be tough" Phil sympathized, then smiled, "You deserve an enjoyable night out. Pick you up at 8?" "Yeah, that's just what I need! Thanks Phil."
Phil said his goodbyes and retreated to his garden to get a few more hours work in before their night out.
Jack And Phil Chapter 2 • Opuss № I