(PI) MY NEIGHBOUR (part-1)

I was kicked out of my parents’ house by my own parents, and I understood why. I had entered my twenties doing nothing, carrying no plan, no direction, and no clear idea of what my life was supposed to become. There were no arguments left, only disappointment that had settled quietly between us.

My uncle's and his neighbour's house

Before I left,>! my father told me to move into my uncle’s !<house, a place that had been >!empty for seven years!<, abandoned and forgotten. When I finally reached it, the first thing I noticed was that it wasn’t truly alone. My uncle’s>! house was attached to another one!<, pressed close, sharing a wall as if >!escape was never an option. I!<nside, the air felt stale, untouched by time. On a small table near the entrance sat a wired telephone, old and lifeless, and beside it, >!a folded note!<. I stood there for a moment, staring at both, unsure which one carried the heavier silence.

https://preview.redd.it/cs6qpcm1dyog1.jpg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b26cad66e334a467484adf71e0eacb463290ffe9

the Note

Hey, Nakul

I know you’re reading this. I won’t turn it into a lecture. Just remember this, once, I lived in this house too. I was your age, in the same condition, carrying the same confusion you’re carrying now. What changed my life wasn’t my father, my mother, or my brother. It wasn’t family at all. It was a man who lived on the left. My surroundings shaped me more than I ever expected. I’ve left you a diary. Don’t open it yet. Open it only when you achieve something in your life, no matter how small. Write how you achieved it. Let your journey serve as an example so the person who comes after you won’t have to start from nothing.

!One more thing, be patient with your neighbour. Don’t argue with him. Listen more than you speak. Observe. He is unstable, and unpredictable things happen when he’s provoked.!<

That’s all. Do your best.

Medium account - Nakul