The tender whisper of the breeze signals the fall. The leaves, like an old-fashioned lady slowly detach itself from the arms of an old Talisay tree; making its steady descent to the ground. The park is so quiet today, and I only have the sound of the birds to keep me company. Children usually come and go to play in the miniature playground, but not today. The sound of screeching tires approaches nearby. Light from the sun radiates to the tall tree that casts a decent shadow to where I lay.
A man in an expensive suit and shiny shoes walked by and took a seat in the shade. He was talking to someone on his high-end phone, sounding depressed. He is an epitome of a lad who is carrying the world on his shoulders. He caught a glimpse of a homeless person standing at a corner and feeding bird seeds to the pigeons. The homeless person looked at his direction and waved. He felt envious. He wanted what that man has. He quickly ended the call and left.
The homeless person replaced the spot where the businessman sat. A nurse pushing a wheelchair where an old lady lavished with expensive jewels and branded coat sat approached and parked beside the homeless person. He gave her several seeds and gestured her to feed the birds/ She threw out all seeds on the ground. appreciating the satisfaction of pigeons eating them. She blissfully smiled with joy. She heard a grumbling stomach sound and asked her caregiver to give the beggar a piece of bread. He accepted it and gave her a big thank you. He stood up, waved at grandma and left.
A child from the playground fetches his ball as it bounces to the shade. He gave respect to the grandmother. She told the child to rest because he was covered with sweat and mud. She grabbed a tissue from her pocket and wiped the mud off of his handsome face. The two exchanged happy thoughts with amusing facial expressions. The child was full of energy. He talked about how he wanted to be a doctor someday and how he wanted to talk to her again in the future. Grandma felt tired and told the child that she’s going to leave and would be happy if they meet again. The grandma pats the little boy’s head, looks at him one last time and left. How she wished she have the same energy as the kid.
A beautiful teenager with a slender figure, shiny hair, and tantalizing eyes, walked by the tall tree. She’s on her phone with earphones on. A wallet dropped from her bag and never notices it. The child from the shade witnessed it and quickly returned it to her. He poked her from the back and returns the wallet with a grin. The beautiful girl thanked the little boy for being so honest and trustworthy, hugged him and called him son. She took the little boy by the hand and led him back home since its getting dark.
It’s funny how the universe works. One can really never have it all. Whatever possessions one may have. whatever status one may reach, whatever dreams one may achieve, at the end of the journey, everybody deals with the same problems, embraces the same ground, gets eaten by the same worm, and suffers the same eternity. Dusk always come to bring me memories of the passing day, as I continuously wait. I’m just here, always observing, always not talking, always unmoved…always a bench.
Credits for the help and idea
Dave Colline Andrade
My Aesthetic Views 