Waiting On 5th Avenue

• Alissa Burton, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2018

Leaning against a shopfront in wait of her arrival. This is where I found myself a few hours after the short burst of midsummer afternoon rain that had cooled the night and left the scent of petrichor in the air. The leaves of palms planted periodically throughout the mall glistened with tiny droplets of water. Street lights sparkled off of the liquid coating the tiled ground. I ran my fingers over the rough brick wall behind me, a texture I had felt so many times. On that day for the past seven years, I had made the journey from my small town to the big city to meet with her. Every year, we met in that spot. That year was no different; maybe a few of the shops had changed, but there were still the same brick walls, the same glass windows, the same tiled ground.

A few metres to my left, an overflowing dark green rubbish bin spewed bottles and papers onto the pavement. A burger was lying open next to it, having been picked apart by a crow earlier in the day. Posters for missing pets and services on offer were plastered onto almost all surfaces, their wet and peeling edges overlapping. I looked up and noticed the waning moon, partially obscured by lingering grey clouds, heavy with the promise of more rain to come.

Joyous laughter made me turned my head towards six young children playing on brightly coloured bollards. Their parents sat with steaming coffees from a kiosk thirty metres away. The smell of ground coffee beans wafted towards me, prompting me to remember the warm drink in my own hand. No longer a scalding temperature, I sipped it, exhaling deeply as the delicious blend of bitter coffee and sweet milk chocolate coated my taste buds. Swallowing, I marvelled in the warmth the drink brought to my body. Steam rose from the small opening in the lid, adding curls to my inky-black hair that was already frizzy from the earlier humid air and rain.

I looked up to scan the crowded mall for her once more. After a few moments, I finally saw her, gliding through the crowd, swanlike in her movements. Her pale red hair glistened with droplets of water. Her bright green eyes scanned the mall as she made her way over to her meeting spot. When her eyes met mine, they lit up with joy, a slightly crooked smile breaking out across her freckled face. I ran to her, enveloping her in a bone-crushing hug. Her arms wrapped around my body with equal force, a hug well overdue. After a few long moments, we separated with moisture in both of our eyes.

“I’ve missed you so much.”