The grey man

Photo by michael schaffler on Unsplash

There was a man who lived with his dog in a little unattractive house. He did not like people much, that's why he favoured the company of his not-so-cute dog the most. Both of them looked ragged and well fitting in their gloomy house.

Their walks were slow and uninspired. The man liked to hide deep inside his hood. He passed the time looking at the boring stones littering the grey pavement. His dog, in turn, paid little attention to the world around, as if not to disturb his master with pointless curiosity.

Until one day, the dog decided to sniff around a little. That forced the man to stop and look up. He got stunned. A bright and beautiful smile was approaching him. A girl as pretty as a summer garden, radiating warmth and fun and ease, shook him to the core. He could not stop looking at her and each step that brought her closer.

He started to feel a shift inside, something uneasy yet pleasurable was taking place. It took him a moment to realise that he was smiling in return.

She greeted him with ‘a good day', and continued on as if this moment meant nothing at all. He greeted her back, and the dog's bark anchored the moment in reality. His face lit up and stretched in an unnatural-looking smile.

A grey man was right behind the girl, barely looking up. Both the man and the dog, grinning in smiles of their own, said hello and moved on as if the catching smile meant nothing at all.

Stay inspired. Keep inspiring.