It was 5 pm, we were sitting on this bench next to Willie's store, there was a small parking lot. The sun would go down at any moment, there wasn't much to do or think about.

Jane and I would go there sometimes, just sit and watch, have some snacks and drink sodas, the store was a few feet away, that was good.

The cars came and went as well as the people, and there we were both wasting time, well sometimes interesting or funny things happened, it wasn't so bad.

At some point the snacks ran out so I gave her some money and Jane went into the store for more. A few minutes later a girl came in a bit in a hurry, I could see that she was wearing loose jeans, a strange jacket, she had short hair and glasses.

Jane still hadn't come back, I wondered why she was taking so long. This girl came out with a shopping bag, it was a medium bag.

She stopped a few meters from where I was, she had the laces loose from one of her shoes. She bent down to adjust them, however when she bent down she dropped some things from the bag, it was fruit, exactly apples.

It seemed a bit clumsy to me, well it doesn't matter I was also clumsy many times at home.

One of her apples had rolled onto my foot, and I picked it up. She picked up the other apples from the ground, still with the shoelaces loose.

I approached to give it to him.
-This is yours
-Oh, yes... I dropped them...today i'm a little clumsy- she said.
-It happens to all of us, extending my hand with the apple.

-No... you can keep that one- she said
-Oh, really... thanks
-Could you hold the bag for a moment.
-Yeah, sure.

She handed me the bag, bent down to adjust the laces, thanked me, and then left.

Jane came out a minute later with some snacks and a couple of sodas.
-You took a long time
-I couldn't decide on the taste of the sodas.

I smiled a little, I knew it was hard for her to choose among so many. We went back to the bench.

-Who was she?- she ask giving me the sodas.
-I don't know, not even her name.
-Did she want something?
- That i hold her bag
-Oh... and that apple you have?
-She gave it to me
-And are you going to eat it?
-Of course, she gave it to me- taking a bite.

It was still early, exactly 5:50, Jane and I decided to stay a while longer.

While eating some strange-tasting cookies, i noticed a couple across the street, maybe 30 years old or older. The woman seemed furious at the way she acted, the man followed her trying to calm her down.

I didn't understand what they were saying maybe because of the distance or the traffic noise, well it didn't matter, I looked away. A minute later i noticed that they seemed to get closer.

-Fuck, I don't want to hear their problems from them.
- I don't think they're getting any closer-Jane said
-I hope so, I don't want to hear their shit.
-Don't say that... maybe the man did something or forgot something- Jane said.

-I don't care, it's annoying and uncomfortable.
Jane smiles a little and I don't understand why.

In the end they didn't get any closer, the man took her away, thank heavens i said in my thoughts.
A question came to my mind, what did that idiot do?...Who knows? I told myself.

It was 6:40 pm, we were no longer in Willie's store, we left moments after the couple. We returned home, Jane and I were neighbors, we passed by houses with perfectly arranged gardens, it felt cold.

-Do you have plans for tomorrow Jane?
-Sunday... not much, just some simple things.
-You want to come to my grandmother's house, you know... It's near the lake, it'll be fun.
"Okay, I'll let my mom know.
-Okay Jane, see you then.
-Sure... see you Danny.

She went to her house, I went to mine, it was four houses to the right.
-Today was an interesting day, ¿ how will tomorrow be?-I said to myself.

© Isay Vasquez