The Night it Rained at Friar Park

Why Don't You Stay?

You had never thought anything of passing by the infamous Friar Park almost everyday. The house towered high over the hundreds of trees planted in the neighboring gardens like a stone giant. But today was different. 

Just as you had almost passed the drive completely, you see a tall, thin figure stand up from the bushes. His jeans were covered in dirt and he wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking slowly over at you. You recognize the figure as George, who seemingly was never seen outside the gates of the park. It looked as if he was tending to the flowers planted on the outside of the fence. You found yourself waving at him and he waves back with a smile. He brushed the dirt from his jeans and motions for you to come up the drive. You do so. 

As you approach him, you see the dirt was really all over him. He laughs when he sees you evaluating him. "I know, I'm filthy. Hi, I'm George." He shakes your hand and you smile. "Lovely to meet you. Tending to some flowers then?" He looks down at the freshly trimmed daisies. "Yeah, just picking the weeds around all of the plants. I hadn't noticed how long I've been at it." He looks down at his watch and laughs. You smile, admiring the flowers. "I've seen you walking along the road before. You live down the road?" You nod. "Just a couple blocks west actually!" George smiles looking towards the direction you came. "Well come in, come in. Would you join me for a drink?" "If you insist," you reply with a laugh. The gates open and he leads you up to the red stone house. 

You find yourself sat in his lounge area holding a lemonade spiked slightly with vodka. George retrieves an almost black colored beer from the cooler and pours it into a tall glass. He begins to talk of his love of gardening and then how he completely rearranged the whole garden when he first bought the house. "It looked totally different back then. Much less colorful." He spoke with such passion. The topic changed to his writing. "I've had so many songs piled up for so long. I'm just starting to get them all on paper. I think I've lost a few in the process." You  sip the last of your drink. "Are you working on any right now?" George looks up from his glass and at the large window on the west wall. Dark clouds were rolling in. They looked as if they were surging towards the house. "Now that's rain alright," he says with a laugh. Embarrassment surges through your body. "Oh lord, I should really get home. I've stayed too long I guess." George laughs as you stand up. "Well why don't you stay? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. But you certainly can." 

You're shocked. George had only just met you and was kind enough to let you stay. The corners of your mouth turn upwards. "Well, I could stay until the rain's gone?" He nods in agreement. "I was hoping you would." 

Half an hour passes with no sign of the rain stopping but you hadn't even noticed anyway. Talking with George felt nice and comfortable. You hoped he thought the same about you. He talked about how he felt being alone in a huge house like this and the new start in his life. "I'm actually quite happy but no one believes me. I guess it's me face." He smiles. "I feel, I feel very, um, free for once. I'm alone again for the first time in 10 years and it feels nice I guess. And I'm happy Pattie is happy too." You can't help but feel awkward talking about Pattie. You were unsure of what to say so you just say, "Well that's quite good then." George notices your unease. "It's alright, I'm really alright now. I'm happy you're here too." You look up from your lap and his eyes were already on you. Blush fills your cheeks. 

"Well I'm happy you're happy, George. You really do deserve it." The alcohol had warmed you up from the inside out and had definitely loosened George up. You didn't think you would be talking about things like this with him already. The air was calm and clear and you noticed how comfortable you were in the dark lounge. 

George finished his beer and stood up. "Why don't I show you the studio? I could play some songs I've finished?" You excitedly jump up and nod. "Oh yes, I would love that!" He leads you up a few flights of stairs. You notice how huge Friar Park really is as you catch your breath at the top of the last staircase. "It's a bit of a trek but worth it, I promise," George says as he grabs your hand and opens a large door. He leads you into the most beautiful studio space you had ever seen. You sit among large leather bound books and piles of papers with doodles on them. George had sat himself across from you with his guitar and began to play.