Prompt 36 - My Street

I walk out of my apartment and cross the street to retrieve the mail. Pulling the mail from the box I sift through looking for anything but junk. Down the street I hear children laughing and playing. I stop for a moment and take it all in. The leaves are still green but the air has a chill that only comes after Labor Day. A big wheel rolls into the empty street. Then another. Chasing each other across the street and then onto the lawn, their imaginations have them on a dirt track in front of thousands, ripping and tearing towards the finish line.  They ride across the grass, chased by their little friends.

A cat saunters around home up the street. She sees me out of the corner of her eye and stops. She slowly makes her way to me but keeps her distance. She has no collar and appears unkempt. I bend down and slide my hand forward. She remains suspicious and stays put. I make a few “cht cht cht” sounds to help entice her to make a new friend. She stares and then turns, walking away.

The street is quiet as it always is (save for the laughter of the kids). The wind quietly shifts the trees as the sound of a mower can be heard afar off. I make my way back to the house. A car swings around the corner and drives down the street. They give a small wave of the hand and turning into their driveway. I walk back indoors, leaving the door ajar so to hear the wind in the trees.