The elevator wasn't coming. He stabbed the button a few more times for good measure then gave up and decided to take the stairs. Five flights later he realized that he wasn't in as good a shape as he had been in high school. Surprise surprise. Everything had been easier in high school.

He jumped the last two stairs and strolled out the door onto the street. Now came the conundrum, since there was no place specific to go he didn't have a direction to start in. He turned west and started walking.

Three blocks before he stopped, and then only because he tripped over the beggar. "Sorry," he said lamely.

"It's alright," the beggar said. Clearly he was used to being invisible to people, "spare some change."

He started to tell the guy that he didn't have any money, then felt bad for tripping over him. That moments hesitation was enough for his guilt to win over his knee jerk reaction. He gave the guy a dollar.

"Thanks," said the beggar.

He didn't say anything else, just hurried on his way. He made his way to the river. There was a city park that followed the river in a thin strip and he decided to follow the foot path that lead through it.

The leaves lay in small hills at the side of the path. The wind stirred them and pushed them up the trunks of the maple trees as if to blow them back onto the branches. A bench. It would probably be good to rest, he thought.