The man stopped at the crosswalk and looked across the street. Two blocks down, his apartment. Three blocks down, the food truck. Four blocks down the right turn to the fountain park. Five blocks down, road out of the town. Nine blocks down that beach to the ocean.

 

It was early evening in October. The sun had set, and the street was composed of light darkness and quietly shining yellow streetlamps. He stood there. The traffic lights kept changing from red to yellow to green.

 

A car would stop, then get closer to the crosswalk, drive past the man, and another car would stop, get closer, and drive past. Yes, three drivers had honked for the man to move, to cross or disappear from the crosswalk. It was utterly confusing, especially in the growing darkness and the melancholy that was even darker on the man’s face.

 

The first car honked and waved his hand from inside his car, but the man just stood there without response. The man was interested in the street stretched before him.

 

The second car honked and shouted from the window, are you going to go? but the man was unmoved. The car honked and drove through.

 

The third car honked repeatedly in chopped notes, beep beep, beeee, beee, beep. The man remained still. But then after the third car, the drivers did not honk. They just drove past and slowly not many drivers were looking at the man.

 

The traffic kept going as normally as the obscure clock that was on the building right across. Nothing on the clock moved except for the second hand. The man had stood for almost an hour when the two policemen arrived.

 

Sir, is everything alright, sir? They emerged from behind. The man did not respond or turn away. The man kept gazing across at the street’s vanishing point.

 

Sir, could you turn around so we can see you? The man remained still. The policemen closed in from each side. They stood in front of the man. Both sighed, rather quietly but visibly, because the man’s face was disappointing. It had nothing to it except some sleep lingering in the eyeballs.

 

Sir, we are gonna need you to move away from the crosswalk. You are distracting the traffic. The first policeman, the younger of the two spoke. The man did not move.

 

Sir, would you please take a few steps back from the crosswalk. It is not safe for you sir. The second policeman responded. Eerily, the traffic light turned red at the end of the policeman’s words. white human figure light popped on the crosswalk light across the street. The man to a step into the street. All the cars had come to a halt before the yellow light turned red.

Wait, sir. Hold on. The policemen sent their hand to their holster. The man stopped.

Please get of the crosswalk, sir, the younger policeman commanded.

People were halting their walks and watching the event. The traffic light glowed red above the man’s head. He looked at the younger policeman.

My home is that way. He pointed towards where he had been gazing at. Then proceeded to walk.

 

The traffic light was turning yellow, but the policemen stood where they were as if frozen. The traffic light turned green when the man stepped onto the crosswalk. The cars began sliding to drive through except for the one behind the policemen. He wished to honk his car, but he didn’t.

 

The policemen stood while ensuring the man walked a good distance down the street, and then the light turned red as soon as they signaled for the car to move. The driver jammed his break in defeat. 

 

The woman behind him honked in complaint The driver instantly flipped her in the rear-view mirror, but the woman did not see it. It was her son, seated front passenger’s seat, who saw the middle finger and looked away because it meant nothing to him.⦿ 

 

Written in 2025 G.C, Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States of America

 

© 2026 Masamune Belay (Birhanu Tadesse Gessese). All rights reserved. 

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