I was standing on a corner in Dunedin, waiting for Neven to come outside and squire me to a drinking establishment for cocktails and Psych 101isms. My toes, without shoes, picked up and dropped small rocks. I was tired out, drained from the time change and the mean-spirited jokes and the constant talking. My waiting was impatient--I needed to vent, and Neven was taking at least a year to emerge from his house. And so my foot that wasn't scrabbling through the dirt was tapping impatiently. That's why my eyes were on my feet, and why I saw when the small black racer snake crawled through the grass right in front of me.
I jumped. I'm not afraid of snakes, but I wasn't expecting to see one just then and the movement startled me. But it didn't even pause--just went on its way, paying me less attention than if I were a rock.
Nev stepped onto his porch just in time to see me hop backwards. He giggled at me, pointing, curly black hair reflecting the sun. I smiled too, shaking my fist at him, and when I turned back the snake was gone.
I leave for the airport in a few hours, and I can't wait to get home.
No comments:
Post a Comment