Ikher got up early the next morning, rode over to the shopping strip, and put in applications everywhere he could. With any luck, he’d have a job by next week. As he turned the last corner coming home, he saw Ken getting out of his car. He called out and rolled over to his driveway.

“Hey Ikher. How’s today treating you?” Ken asked with a wave.

“Not bad. I applied for some jobs over on the strip. Hopefully, I’ll have some work soon.” he smiled, kicking his board up to hold under his arm. “Hey, do you have time for me to grab that paint? I thought I might start today.”

“Absolutely! Come on,” Ken nodded, waving him toward the house.

Ikher followed Ken in and they started down a lengthy hallway towards the kitchen. Walls cluttered with pictures on each side of the hallway were a flowing visual timeline with Jason’s life on the left and Ken's on the right. One particular photo caught Ikher’s eye. It was a younger, more svelte Ken standing on rocks, holding a surfboard as a wave crashed behind him.

“Is this a real picture?” Ikher asked, causing Ken to turn back.

“It is. We were out all day trying to get that shot.”

“You surf?”

“For the couple years I lived in Hawaii, I did,” Ken nodded. “Don’t let the picture fool you though, I wasn’t very good,” he said with a hearty laugh. They continued to the kitchen where Ken opened a side door into a sun room. In the corner was a drop cloth with six cans of paint, paint thinner, a roller, and a few brushes.

“Take what you want,” Ken said, waving his hand at the pile. “Bonus points if you take it all.”

“Really? I can have all this?” Ikher asked wide eyed.

“Yep,” Ken nodded. “The kitchen was the last room we needed to reno, so we’ll be throwing away whatever you don’t take,” he said, folding his arms and leaning on the wall.

“Bet!” Ikher said, grabbing two cans. He turned to go back into the kitchen only to come to a hard stop, almost running into Jason. “Whoa! Sorry. Didn’t see you there.”

“The front door was open, so I was concerned,” Jason said, squinting at Ken who just opened his hand toward Ikher.

“Jason, our nice new neighbor is freeing up the sun room for us.” Jason looked down and his face lit up at the sight of the cans in Ikher’s hands. An extravagant sigh escaped him as he put his hand on Ikher’s shoulder.

“You’re such an angel for this Ikher. Thank you SO much!”

“No, thank you guys. I got the fence repaired, so now I can paint it,” Ikher explained, making Jason clap his hands, close his eyes, and throw his head back.

“Thank you!” he shouted to the ceiling, raising his hands. “That house has been dragging the neighborhood down. I’m so glad you’re fixing it. I’ll sleep better tonight because of you.” Chuckling, Ken picked up two cans.

“I’ll help him with the rest of this, then we can get something to eat.” Ken smiled to Jason who walked over and ran his hands around his husband’s stomach.

“Don’t be too long,” Jason said with a twinkle in his eye. “I’m famished.” They carried the paint over into Ikher’s kitchen and were heading back for the rest when Ken stopped Ikher.

“Hey, question, and if I’m wrong, I’m sorry for the assumption but, do you smoke?” he asked making a smoking motion.

“Yeah,” Ikher replied, laughing. “You guys surprised me the other day so I couldn’t air the place out in time.”

“Ok, I thought so,” Ken said. “Would you mind if I tried some of your stuff? I’d pay you for it, of course.”

“Yeah sure! You want some now?” Ikher pointed back to his bedroom, but Ken shook his head.

“No, no. Another time,” Ken said, waving his hands. “I have a lunch date to get to.” Back at Ken and Jason’s, Ikher waved off help for the last trip.

“I’ll get this last stuff over myself. You have pressing matters to attend to,” Ikher nodded towards Jason waiting with a large smile on his face.

As he was backing out their front door, Ikher saw Ken and Jason wrapped up in a passionate kiss, Jason pulling Ken’s shirt out of his pants. He chuckled, closed the door behind him and carried the supplies back to his house to do an inventory before he started.

Ikher finished cleaning, sanding, and painting the front of the fence and was starting the side when he heard a car security system activate. The mysterious blue sedan from the other day was back at his curb. The woman walking around the car was a perfect copy from the other evening: clean white tracksuit with pink stripes down the thigh, grey and pink trainers and blond hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. She had the big sunglasses in her hand and was checking her watch.

“Afternoon!” Ikher yelled, making her head snap up. She had a very straight nose and strong cheekbones.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know someone lived here. I’ll move my car,” she replied, reaching in her pocket.

“No no! You’re fine. I don’t have a car, so it’s not like you’re taking my spot."

She regarded him for a moment before coming forward. She was taller than him, probably around six feet and had broad shoulders. But it was her gaze that stood out the most, locking onto him with intense emerald eyes that gave him a shivering sense of deja vu. Like he’d done something wrong and his mother was coming to yell at him.

“You’re sure it’s fine I park here?” she asked, stopping in front of him and putting on her sunglasses. Her eyes being hidden broke the spell, but her presence was still imposing as she loomed over him.

“Yeah! It’s all good,” he waved her concern away.

“Thank you,” she said, looking at the car and then back to him. “This is closer to The Six than the park’s lot.”

“No worries,” he nodded, pulling his shirt up to wipe the sweat off his face. “Told you I lived back here."

“Pardon?”

“We met the other evening back in the park,” he replied, but she said nothing. “By the stream,” he clarified, but her expression still didn’t change. “You thought I was homeless,” he said, leaning on the unpainted fence post. A moment later her eyebrows shot up.

“Oh,” she said, crossing her arms under her chest and leaning back on her heels. “My apologies, but you looked like a beggar.”

“Heh. shoeless in the river? That’s fair,” he said with a laugh and stuck out his paint flecked hand. “I’m Ikher.” She recoiled a bit, then reached around and grasped his clean wrist with her fingers.

“Nancy.”

“Sorry. Forgot I’m all dirty,” he laughed again, looking at himself and wiped his hands on his shirt. “This your daily run?” he asked, looking back up to her.

“On nights when I can get away from work in time, yes,” she said with a sigh, glancing down the path, at her watch, and then to him. Ikher chuckled at the not-so-subtle hint.

“Well, feel free to park here whenever you need to,” he said, grabbing his brush. “I’ll let you get going so I can get back to this.” He brought the paintbrush up to salute with it, tossing paint on his forehead and hair. One eyebrow peaked over her sunglasses at that.

“Good to meet you, Ikher,” she nodded with a wry smile as she turned and disappeared down the path.

The sun was setting when Nancy jogged back through. Ikher was sitting inside the fence, painting the bottom of a picket.

“Night Nancy!” he called out causing her to stop and look around. He raised the paintbrush above the fence and waved it in the air.

“Goodnight Ikher. Thank you for the parking space."

Losing the light, Ikher stood up, dusted himself off and examined his progress. He’d finished the front and half of the side, so this was a suitable place to stop for the night. He went inside and grabbed the mostly finished blunt from last night with Janine. He figured it’d be safe to smoke outside at night as most people would think it’s a cigarette.

He was collecting his painting supplies when voices came from the street. Ikher put his things away in the shed and as he was locking it, three teens passed by walking a dog. They waved as they passed and he waved back with his free hand, the other hand holding the blunt behind him. As the group took the dirt path into the park, Ikher started walking to the front of his house.

“Excuse me!” one kid called out, making Ikher flick the blunt into the grass and turn around. The shortest boy with close-cropped ginger hair walked towards Ikher while his friends and dog waited on the path. He looked early teens with braces and an acne-ravaged face that hadn’t lost its baby fat yet. At the fence, he looked around before smiling at Ikher.

“So, I hear there are unique herbs in this park,” he said with a nervous metal flecked smile.

“Probably yeah,” Ikher shrugged.

“And, they could have, medicinal properties huh?” the kid continued, smiling even more.

“Um, maybe,” Ikher said, glancing from the kid to his friends and back to him.

“Would you know how to 'process' any of those herbs?” the kid winked.

“What?” Ikher squinted. The kid let out an enormous sigh and started again.

“If there were herbs, in the park, that had, certain properties, would you know anything about that?” the kid repeated, gesturing with each pause and nodding with that huge grin.

“What are you talking about?” Ikher asked after a moment of trying to decipher the kids question.

“Ugh! Cullen!” the girl holding the dog moaned as she stomped over, the other boy following behind her. “We smelled your weed as we went by and he wants to buy some off you,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Ikher looked from Cullen, who was still smiling, to her. Tallest in the group, she was thin like Candace with shoulder-length hair. The other boy was taller than them both and heavy set with a messy bowl cut and glasses.

“What makes you think I have weed to sell?” Ikher asked, squinting down his nose at Cullen.

“I don’t know. I was just, kind of hoping you did. I have cash,” Cullen shrugged, pulling out his wallet and opening it. Ikher blinked and did a double take at the thick wad of bills.

“Put that away,” Ikher said, checking to make sure his neighbors weren’t out. “How old are you kid?”

“Thirteen.”

“Oh yeah, no. Not happening,” Ikher said, shaking his head and waving his hands at the boy.

“Come on man."

“Naw dude,” Ikher said, waving him off.

“I’ll buy it,” the girl huffed, causing Ikher to narrow his eyes as he tried to guess her age. “I’m eighteen,” she said before he could ask. “I don’t want to hear him whine about it all the way back home.”

Ikher took a deep breath and looked from the girl to Cullen, who was clutching the fence in hope or desperation. Their shaggy friend was petting the dog, oblivious to the exchange. He glanced to the street and when he didn’t see anyone, looked back to the group.

“Stay here,” he ordered and walked inside the house, back to his room, and pulled out his stash box. Taking stock, he eyeballed a baggie and came back out. When Cullen saw him coming back out he pulled several bills from his wallet and handed them to the girl.

Before he reached them, Ikher glanced back toward the street. A couple cars went by on the main road but nothing stirred on his street. Ikher turned back to the kids and held the baggie out to the girl. She handed over Cullen’s money. Ikher counted and shook his head.

“Too much,” he said, handing the rest back to the girl who pocketed it.

“Hey!” Cullen whined.

“You want me to tell mom?” the girl said, turning Cullen pale. He shook his head, wide eyed.

“Hey, this stuff is potent so go easy with it. It’ll fuck you up if you go too fast,” Ikher explained, leaning on the fence post. Cullen was all smiles, holding the dime like it might fly away any second. The shaggy one peeked over Cullen’s shoulder at it, like the bag might explode. A sudden bright light bathed them all just as Cullen’s sister sucked in a breath to say something.

“Put it in your pocket, walk away together, and wave when you go,” Ikher said, trying to sound calm as his heart thudded in his chest. The kids followed his instructions, and he returned the wave, then covered his eyes as he walked toward the car. The lights shut off, and the door opened.

“Who were those kids?” Candace asked, closing her door and walking to meet him. Ikher leaned over, one hand on his knee, the other clutching his chest.

“Holy shit. I thought you were the cops!” he said, grabbing her bare shoulder. She wore a loose top with thin straps, a short flowing skirt and strappy sandals. Her dreadlocks were tied into bunches on each side.

“Why are you so paranoid?” she asked, her mouth screwed to the side before her eyes got huge. “Wait. Have you been smoking without me? What the hell Ikher?!” she yelled as Ikher grabber her arm and ushered her toward the front of the house.

“Dude! Quiet! I don’t need you broadcasting I have weed,” he whispered. Candace pulled her arm out of his hand and looked at him with narrowed eyes before she huffed and walked up the steps into the house.

“I thought you’d be glad to see me since I’ve forgiven you for yesterday,” she said, plopping herself onto the couch.

“Um, okay,” Ikher said closing the door and leaning on the frame. “What’s up?”

“I dunno,” Candace shrugged, leaning back on the couch and crossing her legs. “I figured we could you know, hang out, smoke some, have some fun again.” She grinned, bouncing her foot and played with the thin strap on her loose top.

“Do you have a class tomorrow?” Ikher asked as he walked over to stand next to her.

“Aww, look at you, learning from your mistakes,” she said, putting her hand up the leg of his shorts. Just as she closed her hand around him there was a knock at the door.

“Who the fuck’s knocking at your door this late?” Candace asked, pulling her hand out. Ikher shrugged as he stepped over to open the door.

“Hey neighbor, brought your plate back,” Janine said, holding his plate out as she stepped in, sparkling pink eye shadow matching her tight t-shirt. Her tight black jeans once again left little to the imagination. Large cornrows twisted on her head, combining into one large braid that sat over her shoulder. She noticed Candace and waved.

“Oh, hey. I’m Janine. I live next door." Candace cocked her head to the side, pursed her lips, and her eyes snapped to Ikher. Janine looked at her and then to Ikher, stiff as a board like he was caught in a hostage situation.

“O-kay!” Janine nodded and set the plate on his kitchen table. “I see you have company, sooo, I’m gonna head home,” she said, jerking her thumb toward her house. “Just wanted to return your plate. Yall have fun." She backed out the door, then turned to go down the steps. She hadn’t cleared the last step before Candace stood.

“Who the fuck was that!?!” she yelled as Ikher closed the door and sighed.