A Configuration of Kindness

Until yesterday, two young men lived in the same town. They were both twenty five years old and had chosen to wear beards. It was difficult to tell if these unkempt facial hairs indicated a penchant for fashionability or if they spoke simply of yet another intersection of carelessness and good fortune. These were not, however, just any two young bearded men. No, they were connected in a more profoundly peculiar way.

These boys met, two weeks ago, while drinking at a local bar. It was neither a meeting of chance nor one of fate. Some may disagree with this detail. They'd be wrong though. It had been perfectly clear for some time now that the two were on the brink of this encounter. Their respective social circles overlapped quite extensively, you see. The delay was remarkable only for the fact that it was so prolonged. I'm joking, of course. It's all probablities anyway.

M had just requested a beer in a handsome can when B stepped up to the bar, in the spot adjacent to M, and placed an identical order. The bartender gave no look of surprise, this order was the height of banality. She cracked two cans, took the notes from open palms, and returned to an Adverts hallucination.

B said something to M. The question faded into the creeping din. B repeated it. M offered an apology, cited his poor hearing, (both polite and false) and confirmed that yes, he was a friend of K's. B explained his connection and M did the same.

This led to a conversation each had navigated countless times. M introduced another mutual friend, his band, the bands they liked, the bands they didn't like, the movies with the bands, the art that was like the movie, the words, the words they consumed and spoke about. B responded appropriately each time. Both had gaps in knowledge but were humble about their own shortcomings and curious about the unknown. They complemented each other nicely, M and B.

M suggested that they return to the table where friends of various types were conversing, exchanging ideas, jockeying for position, and quickly slipping into their preferred levels of intoxication.

The group numbered ten. A pattern formed, of point and response. Then M spoke and B said nothing. Then B spoke and M sat smiling. The group saw them, for a moment, as stone fountains. They stood. M and B shook hands, excused themselves. One agreed to move, perhaps to another town or a nearly identical town located at precisely the same coordinates as the first. It matters very little. They've never met again. They call each other often.