Silence is Golden

Kirk and Jimmy found two seats on the upper floor, pretty much in the middle of the room. The music was loud, but they didn't mind. It was a long day and they were glad to be sitting down somewhere. In fact, on a Saturday night they were lucky to find two unoccupied stools. While Jimmy put down his bag and took off his jacket, Kirk quickly scanned the room. They were surrounded by young people, definitely younger than them. Old kids and young adults were sitting comfortably in little groups of friends, enjoying the dim lighting and the fast music they called house. Some had their feet on their tables and Kirk thought, that's probably not permitted.

The 1001 was an old warehouse building that was transformed into a huge bar kind of place. Outside, they sold savoury food and alcoholic drinks that people could take inside. They played contemporary music on a high volume and for many fashionable students in the east of the city it was a daily place-to-be. Jimmy had been there before and he liked the hustle and bustle, the energy that made him feel like a teenager again. When his childhood friend Kirk told him he would drop by for a few days, he decided to take him there.

The two of them grew up in a little town in West Germany. They went to the same Kindergarten and back then they had the same dream. They wanted to become pilots who flew from Argentina to Brazil, from China to Dubai. For some reason they went to different schools after that, and even though there were blank spots in their friendship they never lost track of one another. The Matchbox cars, the LEGO buildings, the love for old Hong Kong movies, Kirk and Jimmy shared a history that enabled them to sit in silence for a while and let their thoughts mingle with the busty sounds that emerged from the giant speakers.

After a late breakfast earlier that day they went separate ways in the afternoon. For it was his first time in London, Kirk went off to see some of the sights, although he wasn't after the sights themselves. It was the interactive side of things, the clash of tourism with the global phenomenon of pleasing people with the same old things, it was the behaviour of seemingly worldly people that he was interested in. He was fascinated by the contrast of famous attractions and authentic knowledge of a city, of every city that he visited.

Jimmy spent the afternoon in the library. Despite his age he was still a student and he felt his final thesis breathing down his neck. He spent several months in the city but kept thinking that he didn't make enough use of it. There was still so much to see and experience, he thought. But then, how can you tell if someone really knows a place or not. Every larger city has several faces. Infrastructure, demographics and social security, some call it the gap between wealth and poverty that marks the difference between each part. Jimmy loved to travel and he always used to say: “I don't want be a long-term visitor, I want to be a short-term resident.” In that respect, the two friends were quite similar.

For Kirk it felt somewhat unreal to be sitting there, eating a gorgeous beef burger and washing it down with gulps of cold beer. He was stunned by the contrast between Bond Street and Brick Lane. Jimmy was glad to see his friend having a good time, when suddenly the sofa behind them cleared up. Two noisy girls got up and left. The timing couldn't have been better. Jimmy secured the worn-out leather couch while Kirk went downstairs and brought back two fresh cans. They sat down and kicked their feet up. The deejay thankfully started to play classic hip hop and motivated a group of kids to dance. As they popped open their beers Kirk and Jimmy thought that life was really good at the moment. They leaned back in the deep cushions of their couch and listened to the music. Here's a little story that must be told, about two young brothers who got so much soul ...