The Truth Untold

26

The journey to his apartment was silent, but it was not unpleasant. I had enough opportunities to look at him, to soak up his sight without being noticed. His facial contours were clearly visible on every streetlamp and his eyes lit up. I liked the atmosphere in the car. The radio was quiet, it was dark outside and there was a silence between Leo and me that we were both fine at that moment.  We stopped in front of a large Building, of which the top disappeared into the darkness. Before Leo could open the door for me again, I had already got out and admired the building in front of me. It was one that owned the more luxurious apartments in New York and that you could only afford them if you really had a lot of money.

"This is where you live?," I asked astonished when Leo showed up next to me.

"Yep. You coming?" he asked and walked towards the entrance.

The big glass door leading into the entrance area opened by itself as we approached it and I couldn't get out of amazement. The foyer was kept simple with green plants in front of grey marble. It played quiet music and everything seemed very inviting. We walked past a counter on the right side of the wall, behind which was a well dressed man in a suit no older than 30.

"Elijah," Leo greeted the man who greeted him back with a nod.

Before I could continue to admire the foyer, Leo pushed me into one of the two elevators at the end of the entrance area. He held a card against a reader in the elevator, and he set himself in motion without jerking or making any noise. The cabin of the elevator was also lined with marble, and soft music played here as well. Everything was shiny, every single button was polished. I looked at Leo from top to bottom. He had mentioned that his father was quite successful and made a lot of money, but apart from his Audi, there was no sign that he could afford anything like these apartments. I was way too surprised to be able to say anything. Leo didn't say a word either, but in the flashing buttons I could see him pressing his tongue against the inside of his cheek again. A nervous habit of his, which I only now became aware of. With a pling the elevator stopped on the last floor and again my eyes grew big. We didn't end up, as I had expected, in a hallway leading to different rooms, but directly in his apartment. I stepped one step out of the elevator while Leo operated a light switch and the dark entrance area in front of me shone with light. To my right was an opening in the wall where a pole was fastened and hung from jackets. Under it stood scattered shoes, no pair was together. The entrance area opened then to the living room in which a gigantic television hung at the wall and before it a grey couch stood. Half of a wall was completely glazed and behind it was a balcony with glass walls. To the left of the sofa was the rather modern looking kitchen with a dining table in the centre. A spiral staircase led to the upper floor. The whole apartment was huge and beautiful. Here and there a few things were lying around, but all in all it was very tastefully furnished with black and grey furniture and radiated a cosy atmosphere. I liked it very much. Only now, when I had looked around thoroughly, I noticed Leo next to me, who scratched his head insecurely and stepped quite nervously from one leg to the other.

"I know it is very ... Well ... showy", he said and it sounded almost as if he wanted to apologize to me.

"It's beautiful," I said with conviction and walked towards the shelf next to the sofa where there were photos.  The first thing that caught my eye was already faded and looked very old. On him was a little boy, maybe about five years old, smiling broadly into the camera, in a white suit with a blue and white striped fly and a little teddy bear in his hand.

"Is that you?" I asked and couldn't hide how cuddly I found this picture, with his chubby cheeks and the saucer eyes.

"Yep," he said behind me and I saw him turn slightly red.