Hopeless Sam

06 The Street

Part I Autumn

Broadway was the exact opposite of Waterstreet even though they were only a few blocks apart. Giant signs, showing shining ads for new movies, books, restaurants, and anything else under the sun. Thousands of people pushed by like the current in a stream. 

This was the rare occasion where Kathy and I split up after school. Mr. Walsh had rolled up to the school in a sleek black limousine. I'd never known Kathy's family had a car let alone a chauffeur. Mr. Walsh rolled down the window and beckoned Kathy to the car. We had been standing on the school green talking about Halloween costumes when he had shown up. When Kathy hadn't come right away he honked the horn drawing everyone in the schoolyard's attention to Kathy's car. 

Now I was navigating the busy city while Kathy was sitting alone in the state archives. I continued down the street, pushing past people as they walked every which way.

 When I came across the intersection I knew exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't exactly see it, just the bright colors reflecting off a puddle. I crossed the street over to a bakery, unlike many of the other buildings on this street, this one looked brand new. The navy blue siding didn't have a single water stain and the "Penny's Cakes & Bread" sign didn't look weathered at all. 

I diverted from the street and headed into the alleyway. Unlike on the Frontier building I wasn't immediately met by a large bright mural, I didn't even see a painting in the alley. Turning around, I didn't see anything either, there was no painting in this alley. I glanced down at the puddle, the same blue and purple kaleidoscope reflected up at me. I turned around again and saw the back wall was blocked by a dumpster. I shoved it out of the way and shimmied into the crevice. 

Then I saw it, even more, beautiful than the last one. This painting was smaller, but even more detailed. It featured dahlias and some sort of purple orchid. They were surrounded by some sort of bubbles, like water flowing between the flowers. There was one stream of water that cut right through the middle, with a name swirled within the water, as if it was being dragged away by the current. 

I stepped closer to the wall and traced my fingers along the name spelling it out slowly. 

"Daniella" I whispered, "Daniella Cavallero" the name wasn't an artist's tag, it was for Daniella. I scanned the rest of the painting for any other words, but I couldn't see anything. I stepped back from the wall and the farther I went the more Daniella's name faded away, just another shadow in the water. Stepping away though I saw two other words written plain as day among the flower petals. 

"What are you doing?" Somebody screeched at me, I whirled around to see a young blonde woman, standing with her hands on her hips frowning at me, "Painting on my wall? I just opened and you hooligans have already started to deface my building" 

"I..uhh.I didn't do this. I was just looking, I saw it from the street" I stutter

"How did you see the back of my building from the street?" She asked me disbelievingly.

"I saw the colors in a puddle, I just wanted to see it." I tell her, "I don't have any spray cans with me" I add opening my bag for her to look in. She didn't say anything, instead, she stood hands on hips tapping her foot impatiently.

"Well, what are you still doing here? Scram!" She hissed. 

"Do you mind if I take a picture?" I ask timidly sliding my phone from my jean pocket. She didn't answer my question instead she asked, "How did you even move the dumpster?"

I take a move from her book and ignore her, focusing on taking a picture for Kathy, "I didn't realize I was that loud, how'd you know I was out here?"