The Mailboxes
Day Four:
The city bus drops me off two blocks away from my house. It’s late afternoon and I’m in this weird place where I’m absurdly tired but also full of this strange energy?
My feet slap against the pavement and I roll my sore shoulders into my backpack, longing to be free of its weight. It’s probably in the 90s again today, so my shirt is sticking uncomfortably to my body and I really would just like to be in my apartment now.
After what feels like a small eternity, I spy my house across the street, the wildflowers by the fence looking tired and frankly fed up with the weather. Then I see the front door open, and there she is again. Her hair is down this time, barely brushing her shoulders, and she’s got this—wow—and this—man.
Suddenly I find myself walking much faster than before.
I sprint heavily across the street and skid to a stop just before the mailboxes. I try to mask my heavy breathing as I advance. “Hey,” I say as I open my mailbox.
Nazari closes her box and looks over at me with these big brown eyes and opens her mouth to say something. Only what comes out isn’t words, really. Suddenly there’s this tidal wave of blood rushing from her nose and into her mouth and down her chin. “Oh, shit,” she chokes out from under her hands and then she’s rushing back towards the house again and is inside before I even really know what happened.
I slowly close my mailbox, dazed, and just sort of stand there for a while.
My feet slap against the pavement and I roll my sore shoulders into my backpack, longing to be free of its weight. It’s probably in the 90s again today, so my shirt is sticking uncomfortably to my body and I really would just like to be in my apartment now.
After what feels like a small eternity, I spy my house across the street, the wildflowers by the fence looking tired and frankly fed up with the weather. Then I see the front door open, and there she is again. Her hair is down this time, barely brushing her shoulders, and she’s got this—wow—and this—man.
Suddenly I find myself walking much faster than before.
I sprint heavily across the street and skid to a stop just before the mailboxes. I try to mask my heavy breathing as I advance. “Hey,” I say as I open my mailbox.
Nazari closes her box and looks over at me with these big brown eyes and opens her mouth to say something. Only what comes out isn’t words, really. Suddenly there’s this tidal wave of blood rushing from her nose and into her mouth and down her chin. “Oh, shit,” she chokes out from under her hands and then she’s rushing back towards the house again and is inside before I even really know what happened.
I slowly close my mailbox, dazed, and just sort of stand there for a while.
♠ ♠ ♠
4/6