Following her doctor’s orders, she had gone for her afternoon walk. Her experience as a patient at the nearby hospital had made her determined not to go back there anytime soon. Pushing her walker ahead of her she slowly made her way around the perimeter of the small park near her apartment building. She made sure to go around the park as often as it would take to have covered a mile before she would sit down on one of the benches set on either side of the curiously crafted fountain.
It felt good to sit down; she was certain that her cardiologist would be pleased with her progress. After exhaling deeply, she slowly filled her lungs with crisp autumn air. Unknown to her, a smile dressed itself on her face giving her features a friendlier aspect. The smile was of pure satisfaction for having done what she’d set out to do.
Reaching into the walker’s basket she pulled out a small bag filled with bread crumbs and strewed its contents as far as she could throw them. She liked watching the birds and the squirrels as they fought for the goodies set for their enjoyment. The fountain would provide whatever water they would need to drink afterwards.
She then reached once more into the walker’s basket and retrieved a second bag, this one of seeds, and added them to the strewn crumbs. It gave her joy to watch the birds and squirrels as they fought over this largesse. The way the pigeons tried to defend whatever territory they called theirs against any comers amazed her; the similarity to human beings was startling! The squirrels seemed to prefer the seeds over the crumbs and many of them left with the pouches of their cheeks full.
Contented, she stood up and pulled the walker more securely towards her before she made her way towards one of the trash bins and threw the bags into it. Then, slowly she directed the device down the path that led out of the park and made her way back to her nearby building. Though her health was not entirely of the best, there was a lightness in her tread.
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