*the storyteller

The loud rumble of the 1 train bound for Manhattan thundered above my head. I glanced up for an instant. There it was. A pair of red sneakers tied to a telephone cable amid the night sky, the full moon glaring beyond it, a faint speck in the pitch black horizon enveloping New York.

I had been walking for an hour and a half by then, covering fifty blocks since I first emerged out of a lofty, gilded auditorium in 175th street, a little before midnight. The concert that I had attended that night was so electrifying and had totally roused me to sheer ecstasy that walking was the only way I could soothe my nerves again. I wanted to relive every second of that intense, aural experience so I plugged my headphones, played all the songs I had of that favorite band of mine and just walked all the way down Broadway.

And then somewhere along 125th street, there I stood, mesmerized at the magical pair of shoes that seemed to walk on air. The phone cable had camouflaged in the darkness, so all I could really see were two red sneakers suspended above my head and the moon, just an arm’s length away, beaming at the city below.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the unusual sight I was gazing at. Only a couple of hours before that at the concert, I had come across a stranger who asked me where I had come from. Upon learning of the place of my origin, he too commented that he was from another state, and he had come to New York to pursue his aspiration of becoming a professional photographer. He was more amazed though that I had come much farther than him, that I had left behind all that was familiar in pursuit of a dream…

Back on the sidewalk, a soft breeze blew, gently shifting the red sneakers in their spot overhead, the movement making it seem as if an invinsible pair of legs strode on air. That was when it hit me. New York brims with the most colorful, unique characters from all walks of life. And at a certain point, we all come across each other after traveling a long way, one and the same sojourner, dreamers all.

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*the storyteller is always on the quest to meet real, beautiful people with great stories to share.  if you know someone who’d make a really good feature, feel free to email her at rbp.blog@gmail.com