The postcard from the familiar street

Life · Original fiction

Dev received a postcard of his own street. The photograph was old: the bakery had a different sign, and the tree outside his building was barely taller than a person.

There was no return address. On the back, someone had written: I used to think nothing happened here.

Dev carried the card downstairs. The baker recognised the photograph and called her mother, who arrived with a box of similar cards. The mystery sender remained a mystery, but the street acquired a history.

That afternoon, Dev took a photograph from the same corner. A bicycle leaned against the tree. The bakery door stood open. Someone had mended the low wall with a darker patch of stone.

He printed the picture and sent it to his friend in another town. On the back, he wrote: it depends on what you are waiting to notice.