A Tragic Episode

It was not without a feeling of anxiety that he left his home; for like the flash of a camera he hurried away stopping not for neighbours nor their smiling children. Those he past felt but the shadow of a presence and saw, upon turning around - with furrowed brows in most cases - the tail of his long coat struggling to keep up with his shrinking figure. Those with good vision could identify him only by his hat (which was being secured in place against his determination by his left arm, whilst his right arm pumped furiously back and for like the piston of an automobile engine). For the many with poorer vision, or still for those reading or smoking on front balconies not paying full attention, or for those busy inside looking out through front-room windows, his usually recognizable posture and gait are unfamiliar and his passing becomes the subject of much gossip. Before long even those who thought they recognized his hat are filled with doubt.

As the dinner hour approaches and he is yet to return, radios are tuned to the sports broadcast and the incident is displaced entirely. No one notices him sulking past, which is just as well for him (and for the game of baseball as well) for he had tears in his eyes.

When he came home, he was walking even slower than usual and he seemed to be lost in his long coat.