Effortless - John Fetto

Hawley sat in shade of the park across from the Courthouse, watching the people walk effortlessly by, light purposeful steps, unshackled by a self-doubt, feet barely tapping the sidewalk as they glided along. Hawley felt like his butt was bolted to the bench. It took two hands to guide the cheap cup of coffee to his mouth and the liquid burned so he looked around and when he saw no one watching, he lifted a brown paper bag with a bottle inside and pour some into the coffee. Now the coffee was perfect and he went back to watching the people, how they glided from one place to the other, in and out of shops, banks, restaurants cars, not once did they stop and wonder which way to go. One suit pulling a briefcase on wheels actually ran, holding the flaps of his jacket. Off to court, thought Hawley and tipped his bottle to him. Probably late. The bailiff wouldn’t like that. Sheriffs sat sat as bailiff’s in ever court in this county, sitting in the corner, holding in their guts, doing nothing. Hawley could have been one. Johanna’s father said would fix it before he got disgusted in him. With Hawley’s war record, all he had to do is make sure his uniform starched with little creases around the shoulders and the seam of the legs. Her father was very picky about that, and when he walked each step seemed to land like a hammer pounding in a stake. Hawley swore he could hear the sound of those feet a half mile away and it usually sent a chill up his spine, but after a few cups of his special coffee it seemed almost funny. The Sheriff’s steps always seemed to get louder, walking towards Hawley. Then there was the deep voice, the questions Hawley couldn’t answer, followed by a silence so indicting Hawley’s always expected to be cuffed and led away. The people in the park didn’t walk like that around Hawley. They didn’t ask why he sat so long. They didn’t ask where he was going. They looked at him as if he fit in, was part of something without proving anything or doing anything. He belonged just because he was sitting there. Sipping what looked like coffee and smiling every now at someone anyone who smiled at him.