he agreed to move in with his brother

they had talked about it as teenagersthey werent teenagers any more

his brother said he found a perfect place a two bedroom apartment loft balcony a great room  

either as his brother explained it he didnt say it right or he didnt hear correctly

                                                                                   the difference might have been that his brother was a visual artist he was a writer his brother may not have understood the heft of his words as he described the place they painted it rather than etching them in blackanwhite typewriter bullet reportskeys cracking the confined paper

the apartment utilities were within his budget

                                                 he said Yah sightunseen happy seeing what he saw

when they went to move in neither were pleased

                                                   It’s not what I remember. his brother said

Looks nothing like you explained he said

walking through it talking about it they found their dreamy configurations were similar although more akin to seeing askewthrough beveled glass or reflections refracted by a carnival Funhouse mirror grit overlaid siftingshadows fucking palimpsest mergers

I see what you’re saying. his brother said

I can see what you were saying he said 

 

Give it a go?

I can give it a go Got my shit in the truck Nowhere else to go

My shit too.

Then were in

Yes, we are in.

they helped move each other in

got one truck then the other back to the rental centers and took a bus with transfers back near the apartment walkedjabbered the remaining short mile

 

lights were on

someone was home

he could smell food

                     My girlfriend asked if she could make us a homecooked meal for our first night home; I didn’t think you’d say no. She’s a good cook.

Maw-good cook

On par, though different than Maw’s.

Whas her name

Renne, not Renee, two ns not two es.

Renne

Perfect. Keep that up and she’ll have you speaking French before you know it.

Yare not

Hell no, words here and there, although I could listen to her speak for hours; it’s like music. We’ve only just begun seeing each other exclusively.

You  Exclusive

Ah . . slowly . . . but I think surely . eventually.

Renne knows  eventually

She knows, I’ve told her.

So I could tell her wouldnt ruffle her feathers

You could tell her, but after dinner, huh? 

he almost told her before dinner

                               his brother had told Renne that his family was physicalhugging kissing she slipped his extended handwent up into his arms her body was warm from cooking she smelled wonderful felt good  almost as tall as he she was taller than his brother

she served dinner on the diningroom table that had been their mothers clean Scandinavian design his brothers now served it under candlelight the three of them at one end his brother at the head

                                                                                    the candlelight nearly penetrated the sheer plum blouse she worethe embroidery down her breasts offered some modesty

                                                                                        but after dinner having moved to the livingroom sipping fruit aperitif backed by music he opened a window to better hear and smell the rain outside  a cool breeze entered erected her nipples  modesty closed shopwent out the window 

he offered her a cardigan he couldnt imagine his brother was oblivious maybe showing her off

she declinedhe was happy she said the fresh air felt goodhe felt good she looked good

they sat on the couch she leaned overput her hand on top of his she squeezed his hand  I think you and I are going to be very good friends.  

it was strange

he agreed to move in with his brother

                                       he may have gotten more than he bargained for

0321,  Twosday,  5  10. 21

0950,  Sunday,  10  10. 21