The joy of freedom

The sun scorched the asphalt street with cruel passion. Heated to sixty degrees Celsius, it sweated under every car that passed. Each truck carved another rut in it. She knew, however, that she was needed. These enormous trucks carried food for people. The same people who cared for her. They fixed potholes, leveled ruts, painted pretty signs on her. Sometimes they undertook major renovations that made her feel a dozen years younger. She didn't complain about her fate. She had someone to talk to. The Sidewalk stretched along it. She could exchange a few words with him. He was very shy, though, and didn't speak much, but he listened patiently, and she liked him for that. People strolled along the Sidewalk, mostly oblivious to what lay beneath their feet. The Sidewalk called them "Ignorants." However, the street didn't treat people so negatively. She often heard a little about their lives. They talked about their family; the city and the world, the vast, infinite world. About the life that flowed within it. About rivers, seas, highways, railways, airplanes. She had never seen any of these things, but she felt that people respected them greatly. That's why she longed to go out and meet them. She dreamed of greeting the River or the Railway. She wanted to exchange a few words with them, exchange gossip, and laugh about Planes and Seas. She wanted to, but she couldn't. Something always held her back. Sometimes she learned that some important person would be driving over her, other times that some pilgrimage would take place. Sometimes Chodnik would dissuade her from this idea, saying, "But you feel most comfortable here ." But the street still yearned for the wider world.

The sun had set behind clouds. Dark and high. She heard from the running people that a storm was approaching. She was waiting for it. She had been so hot for several days that she looked up at the sky with hope every morning. It poured. That day, it started raining and didn't stop for the next few days. The street, flooded with rainwater, listened to Chodnik's complaints. He grumbled, as always, that the torrents of water would loosen his tiles, that the puddles would leave nasty stains again, that rotten leaves would accumulate at the bottom. The street consoled him, "You always look worse after winter ," but he didn't interpret this as a sign of goodwill. It rained continuously. The street realized with despair that the manholes were already full and now she would be constantly flooded. She feared for her foundation, whether it would hold out and whether he would still support her when the trucks arrived.

It had been raining for three days now. Street felt she wasn't alone. Large fire trucks were parked on the sidewalk, and strange people bustled around them. They were stacking sandbags on Sidewalk, to his utter despair. They shouted over each other that a wave was coming, that if they didn't hurry, half the city would flood. After a few hours, they got into the trucks and drove away, and the rain eased. Street knew something bad was happening. She and Sidewalk waited in suspense to see what would happen next. Suddenly, the sandbag barrier broke, and water flowed over their friends. It was the River. She immediately turned to Street, saying, "Come with me," and later promised, "You'll meet handsome Sea, and we can talk along the way ." Street tried to resist. She cited her duties, her destiny, and the fact that she was happy here. After a moment, however, she realized she had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Finally, her dream could come true. However, she didn't want to leave without Sidewalk. Sidewalk, however, had no intention of leaving his place. Despite having no specific reason to keep him there, he expressed no desire to travel. His innate defiance prevented further negotiations. Street, she had to set out alone. Flowing with the River, she listened to its roar, speaking of the wide world that awaited them.

The joy of freedom filled old Street. Finally, she felt she was doing something for herself, that she was free.