Just a Dream

He could tell right away it was New York. The dingy smell of the city, and the way his shoes clacked on the sidewalk as he walked; yes it must be New York.


Under a twilight sky, he wandered the street below. The sidewalk was perfectly kept with rows of trees that lined the clean smooth pavement. Stairs led up to white houses with red trim. They were all so perfect and they all looked the same. The hedges in the front of the houses were green and lush, and ivy climbed the height of the houses. Above the houses ran the train line. Thick iron stairs that led up to the train ramp hidden by the trees, somehow he knew they were there. He curiously walked up the stairs to the front of a house, looking in the front window he only saw his reflection. He switched his focus so that he could see into the house, it was empty and dark.


Maybe this isn't New York, he thought to himself.


He continued down the street. Suddenly he saw a man walking towards him with his head down. He was dressed very simply in a tan suit, his fedora hat hid his face. He could hear his foot steps as he walked closer. When the man in the fedora looked up from the sidewalk, he was rather surprised when he saw who it was. The man in the fedora looked very happy and not surprised at all.


"Tad, is that you?" Asked the man in the fedora.
Tad, a bit confused replied, "Mark. Wow! good to see you. Fancy meeting you here," so he wouldn't sound rude. Mark walked over and embraced Tad with genuine gladness.


They spoke for a moment, in the empty street under twilight. Tad explained how life was back in California.
"Hey you still in the same place as before?" Asked Tad.
Mark got a confused look on his face; like he remembered something he had forgotten, then stared up to the sk with longing, and he pulled his hat from the top of his head and put it to his chest in a clenched fist.. A somber expression took his face, and the light in his eyes became dim. "Naw, man. I live at 75 41st Avenue now," he said with a shadow in his voice.
"Yeah, fuck man, I'm sorry for bouncin' out on you like that. I really feel horrible about the whole thing." Tad said with remorse.
Mark let out chuckle, "It's all good Tad, shit I would've done the same to you. You know that!"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Well, I should go catch my train." Said Mark looking up towards the train rail veiled by the trees. He tipped his hat and bowed, "Take care of yourself out there in California, Tad!"
"Okay. And thanks again for understanding."
"When you left back home I went through your things. I read all your stories. They were good. Everything is just how you left it."
"Huh," said Tad. "Imagine that."
"Do me a favor and write one 'bout me will ya'?"
"Sure thing Mark," chuckled Tad. Not a single word of Tad's writing had ever seen the light of day. He kept them all in his notebook. To himself. Usually he would have been embarrassed knowing his stories had been exposed, but Tad wasn't.


A train whistled in the distance signaling it's approach. Then for a moment nothing moved and the two friends shared an awkward silence as their final farewell. Then Mark turned to climb the stairs up into the crimson twilight.