Want Ad

Johnny took a bite from his egg sandwich and glanced out the large window as two short figures scurried by. He watched as the two kids climbed into a dark SUV and closed the doors. The driver casually waved at someone standing on the sidewalk. Turning his head Johnny noticed a woman in a jacket with a few rollers still in her hair quickly wave and then walk out of sight. A red flashing blinker came on and the SUV pulled out into the traffic and drove away.

Returning his attention to his breakfast, Johnny slipped the last mouthful from his sandwich into his mouth, sipped from his small plastic orange juice container and then quickly picked up the trash on his table. Stuffing it all into his bag, he walked to the trash bin and tossed the bag inside. Once outside he paused, looking across the street to the park. Several joggers plodded along the gravel path toward the small playground.

Gazing at the playground he saw some movement near the swings and walked a few steps in that direction until he noticed some park workers picking up trash. Glancing at his watch he saw it was still a bit early. He still strolled to the corner, stopping at the very edge of the curb and watched as the workers emptied a trash can and then walked on. Although the playground was empty he watched a single swing slowly sway back and forth, back and forth. When the swing finally came to a stop, he turned and walked away from the park.

He passed a newsstand on the next block and bought a newspaper. Folding it under his arm, he continued down the street until he reached 9th Avenue. Watching the light, he waited until it turned green and then stepped into the crosswalk and crossed. Once on the other side he moved over to a wall and leaned against it. Unfolding his newspaper he glanced over the headlines and then turned it over to the want ads on the last page.

Immediately noticing an add saying: "Babysitter Wanted." He read on, "Elementary school kids for afternoons and during the day in summer..." He smiled when the ad mentioned references and then continued scanning down the page, not really paying much attention to what was written. He glanced at his watch, then folded the paper and tucked it under his arm again.

A bell rang at the building across the street and after a few moments he could hear children's voices. He slowly moved across the sidewalk to the edge of the street. Squeezing up tight to the road he shuffled his feet until his toes were exactly at the edge of the curb. The wall around the schoolyard blocked most of his view, all he could see were the chains at the top of the swing sets moving from side to side.

The traffic lights changed several times and people eased past him. Several attractive women smiled and said, "Good morning," as they passed, but Johnny simply smiled and nodded without diverting his attention from the playground sounds and the sight of the chains sweeping back and forth.

After only a short time Johnny heard another bell ring at the building across the street and in less than a minute the sounds from the schoolyard were gone. He watched the chains from a single swing slowly stop swaying before he turned the continued down his street. Careful not to step out into the street, he angled away from the curb until he was in the middle of the sidewalk.

Just over three blocks later, he walked up the steps to his building, slipped his key in the door and stepped inside. Too early for mail he walked straight to the elevator but stopped when he heard a woman say, "Johnny, good morning. Out for your daily walk?"

"Just picking up a newspaper," he said to the attractive older woman.

"Any big news?"

"I don't know, just looking at the want ads," he said before stepping onto the elevator.

"Well good luck with that," she replied.

"Thank you Catherine."

As the doors closed he heard her say to herself, "Such a nice boy."

When the elevator reached his floor, he walked to his apartment, unlocked the door and stepped inside. He moved over to the couch, kicked off his shoes and then unfastened his pants. Carefully he pulled off the pants, neatly hung them on a kitchen chair and then flopped down on the couch in his underwear.

Looking down toward his right foot, he gazed at the device he had clamped tight to his ankle. Crossing his legs at the knee, he let his leg sway back and forth thinking of the chains to the swings as they swayed.

He reached out and grabbed his newspaper. Opening it to the want ads, he scanned the page until one caught his eye. It said, "Daycare Center Worker." Pausing a moment, he remembered standing at the edge of the curb listening to the sounds from the playground. Smiling, he grabbed a pen, underlined "references required" and then scribbled a big X over the ad.

Further down he spotted one that might work: "Janitor in an office building," he mumbled to himself. He underlined the address, noting it was close to the park. Looking down at his ankle he smiled and said, "Close, but not too close." Leaning back on the couch, he closed his eyes and imagined the swings swaying back and forth, back and forth.