Number Twenty Seven ©

Sa peeled the skin off of an orange. It smelled so sweet. Sa didn't even want to eat it anymore. He put the orange skin into his hand and carried it outside. He set it down on top of his mailbox. He left the fruit inside.

He walked barefoot to the store. He didn't need shoes, or socks. He just thought of the natives on oceanic islands who are barefoot through rainforest and jungle.

He passed by several people on his way. They didn't mind. No shoes? Big deal! A few smiled at him. Sa felt a peculiar camaraderie with the people he smiled with. It was as if they knew something everyone else didn't. He felt like they all shared something special. It was reflected in their smiling faces and the gleam in their eyes.

Sa noticed the sky above him was an orangish-violet color, swirled together.

The store was closed. Sa didn't mind. He decided to keep exploring since he was here anyway.

He stuck his hand in the fountain. A couple heads popped up on the other side. Little kids were playing. They were still too short to see over the fountain. They had to hang on by their elbows and shoulders. They momentarily looked at Sa and then continued playing. Sa didn't bother them.

In fact, Sa didn't even notice the kids until they splashed water on him. He smiled and flicked water back. The two kids together, reactively, splashed more water back to Sa.

Sa decided he would play this game. He splashed, they splashed.

They went back and forth moving around the round fountain. Ducking and weaving and making lots of noise.

Time went past so quickly. Sa was getting exhausted physically, but the adrenaline from the excitement in this game kept him energized.

It was becoming dark. A couple ladies came walking with purses swinging at their sides, they both, pushed up their sunglasses and told the kids to come with them. The kids wanted to play with their friend longer. But all of the pleading and whining in the world wouldn't change their minds to let them play with a stranger. The kids went submissively as all children eventually must. They were visibly saddened and Sa felt sorry for them.

The kids waved goodbye and so did Sa. They never saw each other again. It was so tough to say goodbye. Sa had a knot in his stomach. He had to give in however and let it go, let them go.

The women didn't say goodbye, but Sa waved to them as they walked away, anyways.

It was too dark, he might get lost. Sa wasn't in an adventurous mood anymore. He just wanted to wake up when the sun was bright and the say was young. He walked home, barefoot. He didn't pass anybody by except for someone walking the same way he was.

They were several yards ahead. Sa didn't try to get their attention.

They turned away from the direction Sa was traveling, at the next turn anyways.

Now Sa was walking home alone. The feeling was oddly familiar and he wished he had someone to walk with. But, he didn't, so he walked quickly and shut the door behind him.

He went into the kitchen and ate the rest of his orange. When he awoke, he would spy on the mailman just to see if he would sniff the orange peelings.

Sa knew if he was a mailman and there were orange peelings on a mailbox he would be delighted to smell them. Just the thought of it cheered him up.

He concentrated on such a joyous mailman as he drifted to sleep. Such a mailman might be so happy that walking so much ,from house to house, may be transformed into pure fun. "What a happy world it would be if every one's work was pure fun, like play", Sa thought lastly before entering a dream.