It was a cool day in the midst of autumn, when the trees were dressed in their lovely seasonal gowns of red, yellow, brown and all the colours in between, when the sun had hidden under a thin cover of clouds, like a child frightened by the cold, and the sky was a gentle light gray. From the eaves and edges high above the mortal heads to the muddy filthy ground below their feet, the raindrops made little sound, for they could barely be seen on a colourful background. Ofttimes, however, they made a loud tap, tap, tap when hitting the surface of an air conditioner, stray notes in the orchestra of serenity, but the impact they made with the green umbrella was a sound so soft that it somehow deafened the holder to the mistakes the musicians made.
Underneath, in the small patch of moving dry space, was a man in a dark brown coat, whose short black hair slightly stuck out, most likely due to the humidity. In a steady pace he waltzed between the many puddles on the cracked pavement, as vehicles roared past him, creating waves or splashes on their way, which were, thankfully, small and not required to be avoided. By the sidewalk, on a lower level, a natural canal had formed, through which water flowed steadily, just like a river, washing away the city’s filth. It was not rare to spot a leaf drifting slowly as it followed the current. Having fallen from its graceful tops and now stained in dark hues, it was no longer worthy of remaining on the surface and would soon plummet from between the iron gates down into the chasm of darkness where all the sewage resides.
The rain was persistent to continue its play, yet remained ever so light and he continued his path. Between the tall skyscrapers with multi-layered windows, through the narrow streets where the mist would linger, by a purple entrance sided by graffiti, past a red building with a sweet smell, there was barely a soul to be seen. Many had retreated into the confines of their homes or workplaces, where they hussled and bustled through their daily routine or snuggled under a blanket with a warm cup in their hands. The unfortunate ones, however, had to struggle to find shelter, for those who had not a place to call home would rarely be welcomed into a new one. The world was the same as always. During the day the moon is there, simply hidden by the light. At the night’s darkest hour it shines with the sun’s light. Two entities, as opposite as they can be, holding hands for all eternity. Such was the rule not only in the sky, but also on the ground, in the water, within life itself. And thus, with this in mind, the parade of life continued on this cold autumn day.
A bird abruptly flapped its wings and flew off in the rain, the cracking of the motion quickly fading in the distance. The veil of many gray shades steadily floated above. It was as if one was observing a ship at sea, the point of view being from below the waves. There was no thunder, nor lightning, nor any harsh wind grueling about, making the trees shiver and bend. Only a gentle breeze would pass occasionally, bringing that chilly, yet not unpleasant, essence of this time of year.
From one leaf to another the raindrops playfully skipped in the trees by the tracks. As the man went through an underpass in the bridge, a train rushed above at a speed slower than the norm, due to the weather. There he held to a stop to pet a white-eared black cat, which purred in delight and rubbed its head against his hand. Seeing as he had found a place to rest and a friend to keep him company, he decided to stay a bit, perhaps have a chat. Earphones plugged into the phone, he placed one in and lent an ear to what the radio had to say.
“On our broadcast today, unease rises, the leader of Iraq assures the country’s government is not siding with ISIS.”
“The new album’s coming out next month, so be on the lookout! Her manager says the limited edition was her idea, not his, but fans shouldn’t be worried, because the songs will be released again later this year. But who doesn’t want that cover?!”
“No ferries on the Kumobloha river until the end of the month, sadly. The general cleaning period is shorter than last year’s, but is that due to there being less rubbish or from having a tight pocket, we can only guess.”
“-of civilian uprising in Crossroad district. Who killed the pregnant wo-”
“-brings joy to the workers at the wildlife foundation. Tigers are still not out of danger, however due to poa- ”
“-and they say it’s horrible. “Ukraine has no intention of being Russia’s plaything.” says Turchinov, but will this result in an increase in clashes or will the two sides hear each other out?”
“The Cloud Giraffe might have a delay in construction due to the weather. The residents of Famoso are nonetheless happy about the project not being canceled. Local restaurateurs believe it will bring in more customers, since there’s nothing better than a delicious meal after a bungee jump.”
“-worried about the number of stray dogs in the area. There have been no reports on attacks,
but many about their rise in number, despite the area being marked as spayed. Mothers are af-”
“The concert will be on the second of November. There are barely any tickets left! Fans are ra-”
“Fifth day into the Libra-Scorpio, girls and guys! Watch out, because those two are on a role~”
“ “Scotland may have lost the battle, but not the war.” say scottish activists in Huntinghill area.”
“-concludes gay marriage is still on the debate table of Oblak City. Those were the news
on 23rd October from me, Annie Williams.”
With the press of the button the radio was turned off and the phone was placed away, back into the confines of the coat’s inside pocket. With the sigh the man turned to look at the cat, which look at him with curiosity with its big yellow eyes.
“Everyone’s the same as always, huh.” he laughed, to which it let out a short meow. “You have it the best out of everyone...Well, I’ll be going. Take care.” he bid farewell to the cat, which answered all the same, and both parted ways.
The man with the green umbrella continued his stroll through the city as the rain came down just as before. Turning several times around corners, changing direction every now and then, maneuvering through any part of this town was like in a labyrinth, where one could easily lose their way. Yet he carried on without hesitation, seemingly knowing where he was going. The jungle of wires that was above his head gradually decreased and even vanished as the buildings around him began to change. From tall and shiny they became smaller, more compact, fit for residents with a steady income, but harboring almost the same amount of grafitti. The number of trees also increased and soon he found himself passing a school.
It was an honorable building of three storeys, a bit shabby with the lack of colour and some of the construction markers being visible, but was lively nonetheless. Glancing at the clock placed high on one of the building’s sides would prove that the time was half past six in the morning, which explained why the entrance had yet to become a cacophony. Inside, however, staff could be seen rushing left and right, some cleaning and others carrying various objects, all of them preparing for the start of classes at half past seven. What had caught the man’s eye was a strange figure on the rooftop. It was enough to make him stop and try to focus, but the rain and distance made it impossible to figure out who or what was there. Blinking once or twice did little but only make it vaguer and after less than a minute the peculiar shadow vanished. Although he gave it some thought, the man chose to move on from the sight.
From the school down Avgustinski road were numerous little shops with signs of all shapes and sizes. Flashing in and out, ofttimes with a burnt or defective light in some places, they advertised various things, such as hair salons, small markets, drug stores and the like. All of them were notably less in number and flare compared to those of the place he had come from, but their purpose was the same and, even if they were inferior, they would carry out their duty until the very last light went out. On this rainy autumn day one would think that such public places would be nearly empty. On the contrary, many had chosen to take refuge there, namely because they were caught off guard by the shower. These individuals were, for the most part, women out to buy ingredients for their families’ breakfast and little birds that found cracks in the rooftops. The swift cheerful swallows and clever sneaky cuckoos had already flown away to their winter residences in Africa and only the small chirping sparrows and cranky smart crows remained to grace the skies. It was an uncommon, but possible occurrence in some parks and village-like districts on the outskirts of town, to hear the call of a dove, which, unlike its pigeon brethren, hummed with a long and calming voice. Chased away by those same siblings, it seldom appears in crowded areas.
Further off, left through Marta lane, by the playground where water droplets rolled down the slide like children and a bucket remained forgotten in the sandbox, a turn to Natsuoka avenue, past the ramen shop, around the gas station, between the buildings where lives were silently sighing, he walked on the road that got narrower and narrower, until he finally held to a stop on Stargazer one way. The rain had also almost ceased. There was not a passer by. The gray canvas was breaking apart, revealing the hues of the morning. Crouching down, the man picked up a black black book, which was being carried by the small river that had formed by the road. Standing back up again, a light warm smile appeared on his lips. He turned around and spoke.
