“I couldn’t tell you much”, she said. Standing there confused, Richmond looks up at her. “I can’t” she said. Adjacent to him, she glances over on last time. His chisel, the rim of his mouth. Taking in the icy air, she turns and goes on.

Rushing down the stairs, she juggles her purse, phone and coat. It’s half past eight, she knew she was running late. Swinging the doors open of the apartment building she runs out onto the sidewalk, all ready, slipping her coat on. A dark navy Prius slowly approaches her and she follows in. It was a Tuesday night and traffic still outlined the streets. Frustrated, she leans over to the driver and asks, “How far to The Central?” “No more than twenty min Miss.” She slouches back onto her seat.

Downtown traffic was never forgiving, especially on a holiday night. It wasn’t any major holiday, but a personal one.

Anyways, she thought.

As cold as it was, mid-December frost was always as haunting as the lamps that rimmed the town.

Carefully looking out the window, she admires a young boy and his mom stuffed in their coats, a young woman hugging her grocery bag at the corner, and a homeless man with his dog sharing a bag of roasted wieners at the front of a walk way.

“Okay Miss. We are here. Have a good night.”

Shaking out of her distraction, she looks at the man, tips him and smiles, “thank you so much.”

Cold, Richmond coughs into his hands and looks around. It’s late night and the only ones that seem to be alive are the street lamps.

Richmond keeps on with his walking.

As small as the town may be, Richmond always felt it too big. The constant tourism, the congestion of college students, lets not forget the flurry of recruits from the armed forces.

Richmond sighs and continues alone.

—

video edit: myself, Andrea Valenzuela