Deadly situation

She walked down the street,

carefully placed one foot after the next. A thin cloth was tied around her bowed head. She stared intently at the ridges between the paving stones. Watch out, be careful where you put your feet, she muttered. It was not easy to place the old slippers exactly in the middle of a tile. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe...no, I didn't lose, I'm still in the game!_

She hurriedly grabbed the bag, which almost slipped off her shoulders. How was it again? Could the bag touch the ridge between the paving stones or would it kill her?

It had been a long time since she had played this game with the others. No one was left, eeny meeny, miny, moe... if you step next to a stone you are dead.

It was a long time ago they all were alive, the boys next door, the girl from number 13, and the twins, but she crazy Daisy was still around counting her steps.

How she had liked those children, they had laughed together, at her when Ali handed her out some chocolate.

If you can get it, it's yours, Ali had said as he threw half a bar of chocolate into the ditch. Of course, she could find it, the water had not been deep and she triumphantly held the piece up to watch in amazement as droplets of ditch water ran from the chocolate into her sleeve. She had thanked Ali from the bottom of her heart and as she closed her eyes she could still taste it. She licked her lips to keep the memory alive of the only candy she had eaten in her life. It had tasted wonderful and dear Hans had said that she had honestly earned it. She had smiled at him or had it been Tim?

A sigh of relief escaped her tiny body

when she reached the corner. From here the sidewalk was paved and she could drop her guard. She had always been careful to avoid accidents and remembered each advice they had warned her to, the ladder, eating after eight p.m., no ice cream before dinner, no swimming after, the black cat, Friday the 13th, no pulling faces if the clock strikes and so many more.

Bad luck? She had never experienced any of it. Never been the one who had brought anyone bad luck either except for those who deserved it, like her father as he shouted at Mom before closing the door forever.

She had always paid attention, counted each step and never been easy to distract, eeny, meeny, miny, moe... She had taken good care of herself till the end just like she was told and so did Mom when she was still alive.

You are my sunshine, Mom had said at least a million times. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.... and as she closed her eyes she felt her soft lap, her arms wrapped around her and heard the voice that sang all those funny songs, was it really that long ago, eeny, meeny, miny, moe... Sometimes if mom sang she thought she recognized a soft sob.

Sitting on the warm sidewalk

with the bag that contained all her treasures in her lap she faced the street where she was born and had lived for so long, all the old and familiar had disappeared, and been replaced. Tall buildings reached out for the sky, and no one seemed to remember crazy Daisy at the place where men in uniforms wearing caps said she was not welcome and should watch her steps. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe... Suddenly she felt tired.

Not once she had set foot inside

those high buildings although she was eager to know what it looked like on the inside.

Should she make another attempt, ask again? Maybe she would if there wasn't such a nasty sidewalk with ridges all over the place.

The winter sun shone on her face, she closed her eyes, couldn't help smiling. Soon, she promised herself, soon she would go over and ask again. Once the deadly situation had passed it no longer mattered if her feet stood on the quarries. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, she whispered and counted the times a dog was barking from across the street. I should have a dog to help me get inside, and she smiled, but first I will take a nap.

The photos are taken by me

31-1-2024