6:04 a.m.,

May 26th, 2022.


I make my way to school, clammy hands clutching my backpack straps.

Up until a few months ago, I walked these streets with my twin sister.

We’d gist and gossip all the way to the black gates of our school, our shoes crunching on the stony path as we went.

The same stony path where it ended...

Mrs Adelaide drives past me in her black Sedan, tinted windows rolled up as usual.

Denny, who lives down the street, is walking his four younger siblings to school; as they go, they play and joke.

In quest of food, a flock of pegions coo and stroll around the road.

On an early morning jog, a few folks brave the weather and run past me.

Some trucks, cars, and motorcycles line the streets, their drivers most likely still sleeping.

The traffic is still light, but it is increasing as the sun rises.

The calm is soon replaced by activity, and the morning rush begins.

Martha's body is still ice cold, laid stiffly in the mortuary.

It's just another day of my experiencing life without her.


© Escritora Missie