A walk, late on Sunday 15th December, between 4 and 5 in the afternoon

A walk, late on Sunday 15th December, between 4 and 5 in the afternoon.

On this Sunday, between 4 and 5 in the afternoon,
I decided to go for a walk.
As soon as I stepped outside, the cold air burned my nose, Sustaining my sinus infection —
But it was the last days of my illness
And I told myself “a walk might be good, it’ll help”—
My street was calm, as it usually is.
It was cold, but not as cold as yesterday.
Yet, I still felt it in my bones,
My breath was like a cloud in front of my face,
I could still see it, even with my face buried in my plaid scarf.
I roamed the streets, without aim or purpose.
As I walked through the city centre,
I heard bell chimes behind me,
3 or 4, I can’t remember.
I thought it strange because I remember leaving around 4.
But I didn’t check the time,
It doesn’t matter anyway, it’s a Sunday.
I kept walking.
I saw people, couples, old and young, families,
With bags and sometimes arms, filled with wrapped gifts and boxes, Tis’ the season after all.

A few steps after, I saw children playing together,
With an elastic band around their ankles, jumping and balancing on one foot. I felt relieved for some reason,
Maybe I am not as old as the dawn of my 18th birthday tells me I am.
The chimes of the bell left me wondering how long I had been walking for.
I figured it could not have been that long,
And with that in mind,
I kept walking.
In my ears, Adagio Per Archi E Organo In Sol Minore, was playing.
This ritual was solemn, almost like a funeral.
But no one was dead or missing,
Maybe it was my inner child who had disappeared,
And perhaps I was looking for her.
I noticed above my head that a light had turned on.
It was the streets’ Christmas lights.
These ones were not my favourite,
Blue and icy.
The ones that ornate the Main Street I prefer,
Yellow and warm.
In this moment,
I felt that she came back to me for just an instant.
“Just a few more minutes and I’ll make my way home,” I thought.
I passed by the busy town square, people everywhere.

It’s a Sunday, one of the only free days of the week.
I passed by the cafe,
People walked slowly which annoyed me,
Yet some still managed to shove me as if I was invisible, Maybe I was.

I walked down the street I have known my whole life,
It was darker than when I left and not many windows were lit.
I walked up the alley leading to my house,
I put in my key to open the gate,
I turned around for one last look and a few windows lit up.
I put my coat away as usual,
My mother and I exchanged a few words and I went up to my bedroom, Darker than how I left it.
I laid on my bed and closed my eyes for a few moments,
As I sniffled softly.