An elderly couple walked slowly past the duck pond, talking softly in Russian. They weren’t holding hands, but I could’ve sworn they were.
A female duck swam around the lagoon, surrounded by five male ducks. She picked the prettiest one. The others swam away in disgust and thinly veiled embarrassment. I could practically see the word “bitch” in cartoon bubbles over their heads.
An old man walked an old dog. They looked alike. They both had aching joints and jowls. He’ll never be the same after he dies, I thought. Not sure who the subject was in that sentence. It probably doesn’t even matter.
An African couple stood huddled against the wind, trying to figure out their new digital camera. The wife discovered a new function, and the two stared open-mouthed at the tiny, fold-out screen. He gently placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She laid her head on his shoulder. The wind blew her braids around their heads.
Three young men of Middle Eastern origin walked an enormous Rottweiler. They took turns holding the leash.
A young woman sat on a concrete wall, taking pictures of the turbulent lake with her cell phone. Her phone rang. She ignored it.
A man and his son pulled a large fish from the dock. The son ran to show his mother. The father watched him run away and smiled.
A woman pushed a legless man in a wheelchair past the lake. He never looked up.
Three men in decorated leather jackets stood in front of the Veterans’ Memorial. A minute passed - they patted each other on the back, and walked towards the water. They spoke in volumes. They never said a word.
A toddler threw a ball at his older brother. It went backwards, over his head. He and his brother laughed. The sound brought the sun from behind a cloud.
A runner stopped suddenly, mid-stride, in front of a twisted, old Weeping Willow. The runner tilted his head, as if his name was called.
A man walked quickly across the street, trying to beat the light. He left his wife behind to fend for herself. She shook her head, either in resignation or disgust. I couldn’t tell.
A homeless man asked a young woman for change. She shrugged her shoulders. He blended into the brick wall.
