PARKS

The bell rung on the way out the door closing rapidly, as I took a step out onto the pavement my hands heated by the warmth of my cup against the cold air that stayed year round. I stood on the corner waiting for the green to turn red to allow me to walk, I checked my watch it was a gold thing with hands like a compass red and white, a gift from my late father. My white slip on vans where almost grey in the shadow that covered the streets of the buildings And car horns could be heard in the distance. I took a sip as the light turned green and I started walking across the street the warm tea coating the back of my throat. I shifted my backpack strap and ran my hand through my hair, which was a salt and pepper grey like the color of my shirt that contrasted with my black jeans. Three blocks up, left turn, two more blocks, the grey pavement turned into green grass. Red autumn leaves rode the light breeze blocking my path before settling on the ground, the grasses dew disturbed. A large opening of wet grass was in the middle of the park surrounded by trees slowly turning red with the season a small pond sat in the middle of it. An old woman sat at the water's edge hand feeding baby ducklings while the mother sat and watched. Park benches were stationed to encircle the clearing just in front of the trees. After walking to my favorite bench and sitting down I sighed, I loved this place I came to rest here every day after my father died and so when I started college I made super sure that all my classes were after 11 so I could sit here just like I was, and drink my favorite tea.

Today I had no classes so I could sit here as long as I wanted I smiled at the thought. Knowing this fortunate fact I had brought my guitar a simple thing that was given to me by an ex-girlfriend along time ago when I still lived in England, Melony, when she wanted him to learn her favorite song started playing Jason Mraz's I'm yours, and the old lady turned and smiled it was her favorite song, I knew because one day after my first break up she came to sit beside me to cheer me up, and over a few quick months she became like a grandmother to me. With each gentle strum, the sound seemed to coax the leaves of the trees like they wanted to come closer, the park had a different air to it today the leaves rolling across the grass slower than they usually would like they too where letting out relieved sighs.

The bench across the park from me that was usually empty also seemed to be following the trend as out of the corner of my eye I saw a girl who appeared to be leading her boyfriend to sit down although their faces were too far away to see. They sat down she was wearing a flowery dress that seemed familiar to me, and he wore a simple white button down. I continued to play as I turned my head to look at them it felt like the world was like pushing my head and whispering, "Look. Watch". He seemed eager as he handed her a red rose, but what struck me as odd was she took it with a grim look on her face and without looking put in her lap her shoulders shifting uncomfortably. He said something, and she smiled more politely then happily before her face returned to its previous grim expression. Then he tried to kiss her, and with that same grim expression, she turned her head away. The wind settled down, and I took another sip of my warm tea and went back to playing my song although my eyes were still trained on the couple. They were speaking, the man seemed to be happy but the woman was still in her solemn complexity, I looked her up, and down the dress she was wearing was white but was offset by vines with thorns the color of the grass under her feet and red roses were placed evenly throughout the fabric almost as red as her red lipstick. He tried putting his hand on her lap, but she quickly removed it, then she said one word. He stopped talking and the wind whipped around the two, and then she said another word than another. The words came faster and faster, tears beginning to do the same

Then she stopped, and it was silent except for the breeze that rustled the grass like fairies whistling. Then he stood up his eyes were shut, but you could feel the reds behind his eyelids but, most of all his cheeks were dry. He moved towards the girl, and taking the rose he walked away. The silence was interrupted by the sound of the rose thudding on the bottom of the trashcan, then by the girl’s sadness in noises that were not human but a beast whose leg had been caught under a rock.

I set down my guitar and stood up. I was smiling; I knew that dress, as I walked across to the opposite bench and sat down the girl's moans of sorrow subsided. I smiled as she turned her tear-drenched face towards me her eyes glittering with reflection.“Hello Melony” I said

2015