I walk from work .

It's a good 30-minute walk . I pass Wallgreens , Rite-Aid , and Goodwill ( all good names ) . I cross five streets and wait for a signal to change three times . Meanwhile , vehicles fly by , and I pretend to ignore them . Hands in my light safari jacket , I briefly look at the sky . It's October , and the days are getting shorter , so I walk in twilight for the most part of the month . I walk , I take my time , and I think of no bills or family meals . This is my time only ...

And it's all the same , for four years , every day . Actually , the right way to say would be " it was " , because yesterday I've decided to take a shortcut and walk through 228th Street .

It happened the moment I turned the corner : the world outside folded , and the street swallowed me .