The Walk and The Wind

I thought I’d take a walk. It’s a windy day here in Los Angeles. I’m trying to exercise for twenty minutes a day. I haven’t been very consistent. I walked down a steep hill and then up a even steeper hill on a dirt path to get a view of the city. If you live long enough you’ll see the wind blow in every direction. I think I’ve lived long enough, but I’m not sure.

I almost passed out from exhaustion when I got to the top of the hill. I was the one winded this time. The sun started to beat down some. My body was tight all over, and I started to slow down. I was walking up hill again, and I was getting thirsty. The terrain finally leveled off and I saw some kids seating at a table. I heard one kid say “lemon aid for sale,” and I thought oh no. I tensed up with thought of having to walk by them. An awkward feeling overcame me. I made up an excuse in my mind for not buying any. But as I got nearer the kids got more excited with the prospects of a sale.

            “Lemon aid for sale. Would you like some lemon aid?”

            “Oh no thank you…okay.”

            “It’s fifty cents!”

            I dug into my pocket and forked over the money. 

            “Would like ice with your lemon aid?”

            “Yes, that would be wonderful.”

            The kids were organized.

            “How about a orange wedge?”

            “Sure.”

            A little girl handed me a purple plastic cup of lemon aid. I took a sip.

            “Umm, delicious,” I said.

            “We squeezed the lemons from our tree and we made it ourselves, “ Another little girl said.

I stood off to the side and drank my lemon aid. I was still feeling a little awkward as I stood there. It’s was the perfect lemon aid and excellent recipe I might add. I said good-bye to the kids. The lemon aid was just what I needed. It was refreshing.