[10]The Streets Are Alive With Garbage

The streets were quiet these days. Trash rolling peacefully down the street, with few pedestrians and street sweepers to interrupt their afternoon stroll.

Calyer was floating west toward the waterfront when he was greeted by a Big Gulp named Kent who had seen better days. Frayed and split along the sides, it had been a long time since anyone had taken Kent or his kind to the waterfront.

“Why don’t you join me?” Asked Calyer, sincerely
“I wouldn’t want to get in the way…”
“Please, it would make the trip worthwhile”
“Well alright, if you insist…” Kent replied with a huge smile, he couldn’t contain his excitement

Calyer and Kent worked their way down the curb enjoying the view of their undisturbed neighbors relaxing and soaking in the sun’s rays. Nearby they spotted a gang of abandoned Sour Patch Kids, wanting to avoid unnecessary hostile encounters, Calyer suggested they cross the street. Before the wind could pick them up, a battered Sour Patch Kid by the name of Norman made his way over to them.

“Hey there floaty, I thought they banned your kind from these parts” Norman said as he stepped on Calyer’s left handle, pinning him down to the asphalt
“Oh like they ‘banned’ straws?” Piped in Kent

Norman backed off, seeing that he was messing with two Plasticists, the fight wasn’t worth it. The Plasticist wing was comprised by a staunch group of supporters who believed in the merits of plastic, despite ecological concerns. This group was comprised largely of low class plastics who relied on plastic sales for their livelihood and survival of their kind.

The Sour Patch Gang and Norman flicked sour salt at Calyer and Kent and went on their way.

“Could have been worse, thanks for that back there” Said Calyer to his new found acquaintance
“No worries, nothing sadder than abandoned sweets, at least we lived out our lives, you know?”

Calyer did know, he was having a hard time with this concept as the days grew longer and the quarantine subsisted. He did live out his purpose, but not for as long as he would have. He likely would have found more work as a bathroom basket liner, a delivery man’s bike gloves, kitty litter transport, or at the very best he could have been reused at the supermarket one more time transporting fresh food and snacks to his owner’s abode. As the days passed, he knew that his working days were numbered if not entirely irrelevant at this point. He tried to enjoy the peace of early retirement but he would be lying if he said he didn’t spend his late nights and early mornings straightening out his handles and fusing together new slits in his exterior.

TBC …..

10. Write a list of the streets in your neighborhood. Use those to create five character names.

Norman, Eckford, Kent, Clay, Humboldt, Newel, Guernsey, Lorimer, Calyer