My friend Herbert

May I introduce my friend Herbert.

He lives in the space between the first and second floors of our apartment.

We didn't realize that he was living in that space when we moved into this apartment 7 years ago. Suddenly, one day three years ago there was a peek hole where the stairs are to the second floor. He must have been very quiet, we haven't heard anything from that space until we saw his eye one day.

Now, he looks at us every time we walk the stairs up to our living room.

In Stockholm, Sweden where I live is it hard to get a rental apartment. Most of the apartments have become condominiums, with high prices and everyone doesn't have the money you need to buy an apartment. Probably he moved in there because of that situation.

But it can't be fun crawling around in that small space. As I wrote, we have known that him been there for three years, crawling around always looking at us when we walk the stairs. Maybe have he lived there longer, we don't know.

Days and nights, crawling.

He must work from home, he seems to always be there.

I have tried to talk to him a couple of times, but he never answers. He is as quiet as the concrete he is living in. He only flashes with his eye, when I say something.

But he is always there. So he must enjoy watching us. As you can see, he doesn't mind us filming him. He gladly watches us through the hole.

He, I call him, could be a she too, though I never have seen him/her. And his/her name has I made up I don't know his/she:s name because of his unwillingness to talk to us. But he don't seems to protest when we calls him Herbert, so it looks like he is okay to that.

So he/she has become a he with the name Herbert.

In the beginning, we thought he couldn't speak, but recently I've heard a phone ringing in the daytime and mumbling from where he is. Perhaps is he talking to his boss? It's a lot of "yes", "of course", "I'll fix that", between the mumbling.

Often my mind fills with thoughts about how he has it there, crawling around. How does he eat? Does he have a kitchen, a toilet, a shower in that small space? Does he pay a rent? And to whom?

He doesn't disturb us so it doesn't matter to us.

Periodically it could be irritating having him watching us every time we walk the stairs. But he seems to follow our circadian rhythm. When we turn off the light, he turns off the light, and the hole gets dark. And it's quiet.

Sometimes, when I take the elevator, and there are others in the elevator, I'll inspect them and wonder if any of them is Herbert. But no one seems to look back with recognition or has the same eye as him. He must have other routines than I have.

He may have a lonely life, in between the floors. However, he doesn't look sad or depressed. But what can I know? One eye isn't easy to read.

Maybe I should invite him for dinner some day. He could be a fun guy. Or entertaining. One thing is sure, it would be strange if only one eye was sitting on the other side of the table, flashing, saying nothing.

Perhaps I should learn Morse, he is maybe saying something with his flashing.

I think I'll do that, go to a course and learn Morse. If I do so, maybe we can communicate that way?