The Closets, Most Distant Friend

This particular apartment was number 684, in the Jefferson building off Michigan Ave. in chicago. This particular apartment was the abode of a women known as Martha Banks. Martha was just your average, everyday, modern hippy. She was a great writer, loved meditating on the beach, and was a psychologist specializing in cognitive development.

Martha was lounging in her large bean bag When a knock came from the apartment door. She heaved herself off the comfortable location and approached the door slowly. Looking through the peephole she was met with the face of a Women. Interested as to why someone would go to the trouble of canvassing an apartment building all the way on the 6th floor. Admiring her determination to her cause, Martha opened the door.

“Hello Ms. Banks, I’m here on behalf of the republican party in Chicago.”

“Well hello, what are you raising awareness for?”

“We are currently trying to get signatures on a petition for the next round of bills going to congress.”

“May I ask what the petition is for?”

“Well…” It was at this point that Martha and this dedicated canvasser had a lengthy conversation which is to boring for any written work.

At some point in the conversation Martha, for no good reason, invited this stranger into her house. Once inside the women marveled all of Martha’s abstract paintings that covered the walls like a colorful wallpaper. Her apartment was interesting in the fact that it had a lofted upper floor with tall cathedral ceilings. Scattered around her apartment was different magazines of different types, ranging from self improvement ones to others on various social causes. She also had files on four of her clients all labelled in large pink text as “Personality problems”. The visitor made the guess that this women who had invited her into her dwelling was a psychologist. She then shifted nervously in her chair wondering if she was being analyzed as they spoke. She intently looked at Marth’s eyes and watched to see if there was anything “strange” about how the women held herself. It soon became apparent however that since Martha was a good four inches taller than the stranger (who happened to be around 5.3) that if anything was going on in Martha’s deep blue eyes that it wouldn’t be visible to the shorter onlooker.

It became quite apparent to Martha that the lady had noticed the files and was now aware of her professional position. After all Martha had been making countless notes in her head about the visitor and was already drawing countless conclusions about how her guest really felt about the cause she was an agent for. Martha saw the way she held herself and how she spoke of the petition and soon realized that not even the person working for this cause believed in it.

In the corner of the sitting room sat a yoga mat, covered in bright splash designs. Beside it also was a set of toe shoes.

“May I ask what the yoga mat and toe shoes are for?” inquired the visitor

“Ah yes, my beach equipment” exclaimed Martha, “see those are for my yoga class I instruct on the beach just outside of Chicago. It is for people to get out and experience the lake and to do exercise at the same time. It’s one of my many outdoor passions. I also enjoy hiking and biking.”

“Wow that’s interesting. See, one of my close friends attends a beach yoga class everyday.”

“May I ask her name?”
“Yea, it’s Angela.”

“Wow, what a small world. Yes, Angela is in my class. She is one of the most flexible people I know. She also has attended some of my psychology seminars before.”

The two women continued to discuss many topics, other than why the women had rung Martha’s door bell in the first place. Eventually the time came for the lady to make her farewell and leave Martha’s apartment. Even though the two women never talked before or after, there was a certain kind of silent and distant companionship present in Chicago. Any time they happened to pass each other on the street a quiet and respectful nod was given and the two would silently continue on with their busy life.