Silent Observer

Untitled Part 1

Joseph sat on the street corner, as he did every day. It was his usual haunt because he liked the way cool air wafted its way out of the department store, whose wall he leaned against as he looked at the passersby , each with their own problems, worries, joys and sorrows, each so consumed by their own lives. They had no time to observe the beauty around them. Joseph chuckled, he had once been one of them, he thought, a person who was successful by conventional, societal norms. A person with a purpose. But times changed. He had had every comfort in life pulled out from under him and had been left to fend for himself with nothing and no one. 

As he stared on wistfully into the distance, he noticed a pair of piercingly green eyes fixated on his. Someone had noticed him. It was a rare occurrence, for on such a busy street, Joseph usually blended into his surroundings, free to watch each story unravel around him, free of prying eyes. The eyes were staring intently. ' What is she looking at?' he thought, gave her a look of confusion, and tried to look away. Her eyes were enchanting. 'No, look at that- at that cat over there,' he thought to himself. But the cat proved to be an unworthy distraction, as it sat and licked itself like there was no tomorrow. 

He glanced back at the woman, only to find her gone. She had vanished as quickly as she had appeared, as did most things in his life. He heaved a sigh of relief and subtle sadness, for that woman had given him more attention than he had received in a while. Her beautiful green eyes reminded him of the one thing in life he regretted letting go of the most. He was immediately transported back to a more frivolous time, when he was loved and capable of love. When he had known the only woman who could ever understand his stupidly complex brain. He had hurt her, and now his old life held nothing of value for him. She was no longer a part of it. Hunger dragged him out of his cloud of sentiment and yearning and back to reality. Finding a decent meal would be his task for the day. 

He had managed to earn a few dollars by recycling littered cans and bottles he'd pick up on the street every day. Those few dollars would get him a meager meal of a piece of pizza or a sandwich from a deli he frequented. The manager was friendly enough, and excused Joseph's disheveled appearance, and would allow him to sit in the open air deli and finish his meal. The two of them had become some sort of acquaintances because of these almost daily visits. The manager was a heavy set, middle aged man who had inherited the deli from his father. He had a large family whom he provided for by managing the deli and a few other side businesses. Joseph thought about the stories he had been told by the manager- about his financial troubles, his unruly children and his nagging wife, as he approached the deli with a pocket full of change that amounted to about 2 dollars.  The deli was closed. 

There was an eerie still looming over the entire street. Joseph went to the shop next door and asked why the deli was closed.

"Haven't you heard?" the small balding man replied, nervously adjusting his glasses as he spoke. "Heard what?" "The deli manager has been murdered."