A Walk in the Park

The rising sun shines silver through the early morning mist. Droplets of dew glisten on blades of grass which quiver in the breath of a gentle spring breeze. A walk in the park. Just one man and his dog. So peaceful.

In the hunching houses beyond the hedgerows, alarms are waking folk from their slumbers.Soon the quiet will be shattered by the sound of cars spluttering into life. Children will shout their goodbyes as they pile into buses, and the drone of the city beyond will provide an endless soundtrack to the wearisome working day.

But for now, it’s peaceful, so very peaceful.

A mother duck proudly floats across the lake, as half a dozen baby brown birds paddle franticly in her wake in an effort to keep up. With a sudden hiss and splash, a fountain springs into life and in seconds it's crowned by the shimmering arc of a perfect rainbow.Around a corner behind the trees, a multicolour fence surrounds group of brightly coloured slides and seesaws enjoying the last minutes of peace and quiet before chattering mothers propel their shrieking offspring through the gate in their bag laden baby buggies. The swings move lazily back and forth awaiting their first passengers of the day.

His dog suddenly stops, as dogs do. As he waits for it to go about its business he looks around and wishes it could always be as peaceful as this.

As he rounds a bend he’s momentarily dazzled by a flash of light as the windows of the white and blue wooden pavilion reflect the rays of the beaming sun into his squinting eyes. A small price to pay for experiencing something few others will. Soon the chugging mower and the rumbling roller will be trundling back and forth getting the green ready for the start of the cricket season. Soon the crack of leather on willow will be music to the ears of the cricketing community as the men strut about bat and ball in hand, and the proud ladies make cucumber sandwiches, pour endless cups of tea and butter their home baked scones.

Right now though, peace and quiet prevail.

He turns and walks into the copse. Sunrays pierce the ground around him like golden spears as they shoot through the swaying branches overhead. A few minutes more and he’ll be home. He’ll hand the park back to his neighbours for another noise filled day.

A jarring thump. He shoots forward and stumbles to the ground. What’s happened? He makes out the sight of a heavy boot flying towards his face and senses someone frantically tearing at his pockets and dragging his watch from his wrist. The peace is shattered now. The silence is assaulted by the grunting and growling of his assailant. His dog drags itself from his grasp, and now the air is filled with deafening barking and the terrified whimper of the attacker who now finds himself under attack. Slowly everything becomes a blur and the sounds echo away into the distance.

Once again it’s peaceful. The only sound is the breathing of the faithful hound as he sits by his master, licking his face, willing him to recover..
Alone in the park. Just one man and his dog. So peaceful.

Written for the Sunday Scribblings prompt 'A Walk in the Park'