Curb Crier

As I turned the corner, I looked at my watch. Just in time, as I usually was. I sighed, hoping something different would happen in my day for once.

Just then, a taxi stopped right in front of me, and a distraught-looking girl stepped out. She was probably in her early 20s, and she donned a blue blazer atop dark brown slacks.

She closed the taxi door and kept looking at her phone and around the area, as if unsure of where she was. Next thing I know, she turned to face the street, plopped herself down on the curb, and dropped her cheap-looking messenger bag next to her. As soon as she did, I heard her burst into tears.

I stared at her, watching her body heave as it was racked with sobs. That she was allowing tears to stream so freely down her face – and in such a public place – touched my heart. Immediately, I searched my pockets for a handkerchief, found one, and stepped towards the crying girl.

I was just about to tap her shoulder to offer her my hanky when she suddenly got up and faced me. Tears were still streaming down her face, but she was talking on her phone in an upbeat yet professional tone. (I guessed she was talking to a boss or a client.) It seemed like a mismatch of circumstances: a crying young professional talking on the phone with a wide smile and tear-stained cheeks.

She then turned to the street again, where she wordlessly called for another taxi. An empty one stopped right in front of her and she quickly got in, disappearing as soon as she appeared.

I looked at the cab speeding away, feeling a little embarrassed. I quickly put my handkerchief back in my pocket and sighed. I guess that something different did happen today.

With a shrug, I continued my way to the office.

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Image source: deviantart.com/e-mi-ko/art/A-Crying-Girl-48462874
First written December 2, 2017.
#62