I went for a walk up the hill behind our apartment this morning. It was a beautiful morning, crisp, cold, clear – the colours are sort of milky when it’s like this, unless that’s just my watery eyes.
Turning a corner, I saw a girl running down the street. She was only slightly larger than her backpack, which swung on her back, threatening to throw her off balance with each step.
“What’s she running for?” I thought, and then saw, further down the street, a group of school kids gathered on the footpath. “She’s excited to see her friends,” I thought, and then saw the school bus pull up. Of course. She was running for the bus.
Across the street and up on the first floor, a woman leaned out of the window of her apartment, her hand to her throat, watching to see if the girl made it. I guess I was not the only member in this audience.