The Leaf Patch

A man is walking home from work along the side of a busy road. There is only one path and it is narrow. He sees a collection of leaves on the path in front of him. It is a matted collection of leafy vegetation, matted from a soggy cycle of rain and sun. Rain and sun.

He sees a woman walking towards him. She is an older woman and well dressed with a certain allure smarting about her hips and finely cut business accouterment.

She veers towards him.

Man: I am going to walk straight. This is ridiculous. I am not going to move for this woman. Why can't she walk straight? Does this woman think she owns the path? This path was here before both of us. I have intimated "straightness" in my journey for the last 30 minutes.

The woman continues to veer closer to him. It is evidently self evident that she is attempting to circumnavigate the matted leaf patch. She shows no concern for the imminent meeting of their trajectories.

Man: Oh come off it! She's going to walk into me to avoid the leaf patch? The leaf patch is on her side of the path. The burden of leaf patch is hers to deal with! Why must she confer this responsibility on me? It seems such a particular act and yet we're total strangers!

The woman comes to within two metres of the man. The man looks at the woman, being careful to express his look of severe annoyance. The woman continues unabated in her veering, for she is power-suited and exercising her right of post-feminist womanhood.

The man's body jerkily responds. One foot after another betrays his resolute promise to practice self-worth. He admonishes himself privately. He sinks to the primitive role of hunter-gatherer. The man sidesteps and lets the woman take the clear path. He has been displaced. He is on the grass beside the path. She is on the clear path. He is on the grass.

Man: "Ergghh!!"

The woman acknowledges his grunt with a look. The man tries to focus his frustration in his eyes and shoot it at her....

Woman: "I can't walk on the LEAVES!!"

Man: "Is it going to murder you?"

The woman shows the man a look of obvious disdain. They pass each other and keep walking. The man has learned his place.