It is amazing living in this city of existence. Moving around the city sometimes can be as predictable as it can be accidental. Having lived in this city for more than two decades I have walked on many of its streets, dark Alleyways and Posh trendy districts.
One thing I have found constant on all the streets I have walked on is the two distinctive group of people you come across. Inhabitants and Passer bys. The Inhabitants you would notice have a certain nonchalant view about the existence of any other street and the passer bys always seemed lost or in a hurry.
Now this is my story......
Coming home one evening a bit early in the evening actually
I decided to do some exploring and so just before my street I turned left down an avenue. It was really beautiful. Had nice oak trees and beautifully whitewashed houses. They all looked alike. My brother would have called them "copy and paste" houses. The strange thing about this street was that I did not come across any person. It seemed dead to life. So I hurried along and just before the end of the street I took a right turn and found myself on Pride lane, it lead straight onto Isolation Drive and ended in Self Righteous Close all forming one big Cul-de-sac people called Vanity. I noticed that though the houses there were terribly expensive and often big and ugly, these streets boasted a very huge population. People who could barely afford to eat wanted houses there.
Well, I went on taking a tiny footpath called Remorse Green and onto a tiny quiet street with beautiful houses. I was so awestruck by the angelic aura that besieged those small houses that I almost forgot to see what the street was called but just before I turned off the street there it was on a tiny signpost it was called Charity Crescent.
Heading off from Charity Crescent and turning into a side street, I almost swooned from the stench that hit me. It was potent enough to make one choke. I could almost perceive fumes belching out of those surprisingly elegant Victorian styled houses complete with driveways and barns, beautifully carved chimneys and elegant Doors made of finest oak. Walking down this street I soon forgot all about the stench and my mouth was open, I drooled at the sight of such show of affluence and unimaginable wealth. Getting to the top of the street, there it was all carved up out of Black rock and written in gold was it's name Corruption Boulevard. Stumbling into Wannabe Highway a reverse but no less sickening nauseous feeling hit me from the sudden burst of fresh air. Wannabe Crescent was bursting with Passer bys all headed towards Corruption Boulevard looking to buy a property no doubt regardless of the pollution.
Continuing my journey, I went pass Failure Close, I even went pass the famous Doors of Opportunity all shut and solemn looking, you would think they wouldn't open to the blast of a canon.
There was Dedication Street, Long-suffering Street, Melancholy Bye-pass, and Friendship Highway upon which I saw some horrific accidents. Taking a footbridge called Self-Motivation I came down on the other side of Friendship Highway and there was Marital Street. What use to be a one Way Street now had as much traffic going out as was coming in. So Morality Close which it led into was virtually empty except for a few elderly couples. There was a tinge of sadness in the air there it almost put a lump in my throat.
Well whatever lump was forming vanished because leading out of Morality Close was an Alleyway called Violence. I was lucky to have escaped with my life. Busting out of Violence Avenue I found myself staring at an 8 foot seemingly endless fence with barbed wires on top. I almost cried with anguish because I knew it meant finding a way to scale or crawl over that fence or getting horribly murdered back at Violence Alleyway.
I sat on the floor for a bit and did realise why people who find themselves living in Violence Alleyway never seem to be able to leave. Well I was not going back there. I walked a few paces back constantly peering over my shoulder into that dark alleyway. When I thought I had gone far enough I ran towards the wall with my shirt and singlet wrapped around both my hands I just managed to catch the top of the wall. Pulling myself up with all the strength I could muster. Getting to the top I gingerly stepped over the barb wire. My left trouser got caught in it and I was stuck. I did not fancy jumping 8 feet to the ground but I had to resulting in my trouser being ripped almost in half and sustaining a very deep wound above my ankle.
I landed in a basketball court called the Courts of Mediocrity. Considering the fact that it was almost nightfall and there were no houses in sight, there were lots of people hanging around. It had a huge population. Well putting my shirt back on, I began my long trek back home limping and wincing in pain. Past Success Street onto Cheerful Bypass after which I came to Excellence Junction. Got onto a side-street called Religion and then Faith Avenue after which was Joy Walkway and just in the distance the slightly bent road lamp on my street.
Later that night having tended to my sore leg and already dozing off to sleep I thought of all the streets I had been to that day and with a sigh of apprehension I rolled over and fell into an awkward slumber knowing full well that my days on Complacency Road were at an end.
