Broadway Avenue! Manhattan

© Christine Mastroianni, all rights reserved

She saunters along Wall Street and then Broadway, apparently aimlessly, a pink and black shopping bag dangling from her right hand. One would suppose that she does have an eventual destination but is evidently uninterested in increasing her pace at this time. Blissfully unaware of the hoards of Manhattanites darting alongside the strands of traffic, she methodically places one stiletto before the other, her head slanted to one side, her left arm extended towards an stately, rugged fence that has been following her. She traces the bold but intricate pattern with a long, manicured finger, sliding it slowly along the ridges of black iron, caressing its rugged texture, at once smooth and etched. She continues to follow this massive collection of metal shafts and arches, allowing it to guide her along the sidewalk as her attention remains inward, her thoughts collaborating. She lingers in this fashion until her finger is feeling only the air, and she is snapped to attention upon reaching the end of the structure. She grasps the satin straps of her bag and quickens her pace, as if suddenly realising she has somewhere appealing to go and is now intent on arriving.