The Sound Of A Smile A cane clicks against the ground, providing a better sense of the world just nine inches out. It catches every three feet in the cracks of the sidewalk. It's a busy time of day, the streets lined with cars and crowds of people all talking and being different. It is easy for them to walk by a man with dark glasses and a warm coat who makes no noise at all, other than the click. That clock that joins the cacophony and is lost to them in the honking and shouting and beeping and clackering. But he hears them. Every one of them. He smells the food from pop-ups, coffee, perfume. He hears pieces of their conversations as he passes and hopes to hear his favorite sound - one not common in the busy city bustle. He walks into a bakery. His favorite bakery. He knows it by the creak the door makes when it opens and the bells that jingle when it shuts behind him. "The usual?" Glasses clink. The smell of fresh bread mixed with rich coffee is strong in the air. "You're about two minutes late. I thought you might not be coming today." Her voice rises and falls melodically, the last words laced with a fun teasing tone. He smiles back. "I got caught up in traffic."
Daily for SWC! 225 words
