The Obligation

Morning arrives and I'm briskly walking down a busy sidewalk full of people who are rushing to get somewhere. Nudging and shoving, shoulders kiss shoulders, "pardon me's" and "watch where you're walkings". I'm running late to my obligation. An obligation I need to be at. An obligation everyone is expecting me to present at. An obligation, indeed.

A mess all over again, I struggle to keep my bag on my shoulder while i'm looking down at my phone to check the time. *curse* I'm still late*. I look up and barely run into someone just coming out of a shop. I see a coffee shop ahead of me with outdoor seating and umbrellas. "Coffee and Pastries" My stomach growls at me. I ignore the notion and continue faster looking the other way at the traffic jam and beeping horns. My phone vibrates and yet again, struggling to keep my bag on my shoulder, I look down at my phone. A text, "where are you!". Rolling my eyes with a pressured sigh, I look up again and run into a man getting up from the coffee shop. "I'm so sorry, sir!.... Excuse me". It became that awkward moment when both parties try to get out of the others way but end up taking the same direction. We do this dance and then we continue to do this dance. It was understandable at first, but now i think he's just being annoying. I explain to him, "Listen sir, not to be rude, but I have an obligation I NEEEEED to be at. So if you could just...." The dance continues. I look around to see if anyone is noticing this obscured scene but everyone is too busy rushing to their own engagements. It's getting later and the crowed is growing larger that it's pushing me more into this man that is, yet, still in my way. Shoulder bumps and shoves. I get more and more irritated and a hint of jealousy that they all are going to make it on time. The man finally asks, "What is this important event that you are so eager to go to?" I look at him while i still try to get pass with a annoyed "why would I tell you?" look. Then shockingly he asks me to sit and have coffee and some pie with him! "Listen, man, I have an obligation that is dearly important for me to be at. I have a presentation and a lot of people are expecting me there any minute." The man laughs; LAUGHS at me! How dare he! By this time my heels are being clipped and my hair is now falling out of the tight bunn I had had it in, my shoulder seam has a fray in it, mud is splattered up my leg... not to mention the runs in my stockings. I'm in tears at this point and the man asks why I am crying. Did this guy NOT understand my english? I try one more time to get by him and he is then pushed in my way by the crowed. *SCREAM!* big surprise no one heard me. Then I got smart. I started pushing him towards my obligation. Taking him with me, since I apparently can't get rid of him. I'm pushing his shoulders backwards trudging along. He's not cooperating very well. so I push harder.... harder... I'm out of energy... i'm sweating like a horse. My make up is smudged. I glanced at my self in one of the shop windows and I looked like a tornado mess! I'm so exhausted that i fling my arms around this man and hang on to him so I don't collapse. He puts his arms around me and comforts me. (I have never met this man before...yet he comforts me? Strange) "I just need to be there for a second. Then I'll sit and eat something" I say sobbing in his collar.

"Why?" He asks.





-The end-