Ms. Leaf
Eating my pizza beside the very tall building where I work, while appreciating a book, I notice a little leaf shaped bug making its way imperiously across the sentence I am reading.
Later when I take the subway, I pull out my book, and Ms. Leaf makes her way across the borders of the book, precariously hanging on the edges. Appalled by her audacity of having hid in my bag all this time, and about to shake her off my book, I become amused by her bright green shape and leaf color, and of course, her audacity, and I take pity. Instead at the end of the ride, I decide to free her outdoors but unfortunately, I must hurry to make my train. Rushing in the station, she gingerly walks around my hand. I brush her off in my bag and put the book there too. Upon removing the book, she crawls out again. I think to myself, she stayed all this time under my desk at work but she can't stay put for a second now as she seems to crawl endlessly till my 3rd attempt of brushing her off in the bag where she remained ominously hidden. Had she crawled off or flown away, I peak. Not in the pockets of the bag, nor my hands nor on my book. Would she remain on this air conditioned, tomb of a train to die a sad death, I worried while trying to read Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
As the train slows down to make my stop, she playfully crawls up my arm. So she has made it this far, I will free her by the trees outside, away from the station. Cupping my hand over her, I make my way and look at her. She looks back. I keep walking and instead decide to free her in my lush garden, if she will stay on till I make it back. I look at her when I walk, she looks at me and she waits for the garden. Opening my old wooden gate, I show my garden to her, which is now her garden too, and let her down on a little thorn bush I think she will like. Upon some prodding, she looks back at me one last time, and then satisfied walks off.
Later when I take the subway, I pull out my book, and Ms. Leaf makes her way across the borders of the book, precariously hanging on the edges. Appalled by her audacity of having hid in my bag all this time, and about to shake her off my book, I become amused by her bright green shape and leaf color, and of course, her audacity, and I take pity. Instead at the end of the ride, I decide to free her outdoors but unfortunately, I must hurry to make my train. Rushing in the station, she gingerly walks around my hand. I brush her off in my bag and put the book there too. Upon removing the book, she crawls out again. I think to myself, she stayed all this time under my desk at work but she can't stay put for a second now as she seems to crawl endlessly till my 3rd attempt of brushing her off in the bag where she remained ominously hidden. Had she crawled off or flown away, I peak. Not in the pockets of the bag, nor my hands nor on my book. Would she remain on this air conditioned, tomb of a train to die a sad death, I worried while trying to read Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
As the train slows down to make my stop, she playfully crawls up my arm. So she has made it this far, I will free her by the trees outside, away from the station. Cupping my hand over her, I make my way and look at her. She looks back. I keep walking and instead decide to free her in my lush garden, if she will stay on till I make it back. I look at her when I walk, she looks at me and she waits for the garden. Opening my old wooden gate, I show my garden to her, which is now her garden too, and let her down on a little thorn bush I think she will like. Upon some prodding, she looks back at me one last time, and then satisfied walks off.
A lovely story. Thank you.
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ReplyDeleteMs. Leaf and I thank you for your nice comments Drodbar.
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