A Fine Mist of Rain Fell

I stepped out on to the street and pulled my gate shut. The air was cold, I shivered. I pulled my collar up around my neck as my body vibrated underneath my coat, I shivered down my spine, as you say. It was early, the full veil of the morning hadn't quite lifted. The light was grey, a fine mist of rain fell, you know, just enough to cover your hair with diamonds of water.

I had only taken a few steps when I heard, pad, pad, pad behind me. Then whoosh, a jogger whirled passed me. I stepped sideways and out of the way. I mean, he probably wasn't going so fast, maybe I was still on slow, no coffee yet, no heart starter to make my eyes fully open. I almost felt as though I staggered out of his way. Not a full stagger, you understand, but a sense of it.

I heard him snort and pant, gasp in, exhale. I watched his legs, like steel springs, propel him past me. There was a slight gust of air, well, I think there was. I watched his ankles flip up behind him and then push his feet to the ground, straightening as his shoes touched down on the bitumen. The backs of his wide-legged black shorts flapped with each step. The was a hint of his red jocks underneath hugging him tight. His arms swung rhythmically, matching his breaths.

His back was straight, his head was up, he pranced. He was a fine specimen of a running machine. It was whoosh, and then he was gone.

He flipped around the corner at the intersection and disappeared. He was nowhere to be seen when I turned that same corner a few moments later.

Where did he go, I thought, but I really wasn’t bothered to give it more than a passing thought, no coffee as yet, as I have already said.

The street was quiet again, except for my short, sharp breaths sounding in my ears. [16.10.2010] And the clop, clop, clop of my own feet. 

The morning air was cold on my face. I yawned. The inhale of breath was cold. I looked both ways on the street, and then I crossed over to the other side and continued my walk. A car drove past me on the road, otherwise it was early and it was only me making my way in the deserted neighbourhood. 

The rain still fell like a fine mist. I pulled my coat tight around my body.