Birds

   On his lunch break this difficult workday, Paul wasn’t in the dining hall as every other clerk. He dwelt on a sore subject somewhere in the upper floors of the grey building. Two hours later, he allowed himself to drink just a mug of coffee without sugar to cool off a bit, after which he slowly took two little sips. When in his office he lay down on a low sofa to relax a bit and in order to think, when the phone rang. He knew approximately who could ring him in this part of the day. He obviously had to answer. 

   Waiting in a supermarket queue, he just reread what he had written yesterday night in his notebook when someone called him by name. That was Greg. They had a quick word and then said goodbye. At the exit from the supermarket, the outdoor advertisement of dairy products reminded him that at night he had forgotten to put a carton of milk in the fridge so today he had to buy a new one.

   Sometime later with his bag he decided to have a short walk to the next bus stop. At the corner in the light of a street lamp, he saw a group of people talking and chuckling at something. Not far from them in a small Italian restaurant was a young couple having their supper. He saw them in the window. He quickly looked away. That helped him not to start overthinking once again. It distracted him. He turned the corner once again. This time he didn’t know this street well, so as he turned right he wasn’t sure that it was such a good idea having a walk at that time. His friend Danny showed him once nearby surroundings a little further from the supermarket where he had rented an apartment last spring. But this district he didn’t know, especially this street. This didn’t bother him much and he wandered on. Very soon he found the nearest bus stop where he checked the location on the map and took a seat waiting for the bus. People were rushing through the streets without paying any attention around them. They always were in such a hurry. In each of them he could easily recognize himself. He felt empty. Raising his gaze to the sky, he saw how the birds were soaring through the evening sky. His soul always secretly admired their grace. In those moments, a thrill appeared deep in his mind. He desired to be like them. They were free. They were free like the wind.

   When he was at home lying on the damp grass in the backyard of his house he let himself lazily to think without concentrating on nothing but the sky. This brought him peace. This brought him harmony. The fact that it was getting dark so quickly didn’t bother him anymore, because he knew that the sun would rise tomorrow.   


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