A somewhat personal experience. The prompt just really reminded me of the things I had noticed. No structure, really, it was trying to get the observations out into words...which often means the exact words with the right intensities are hard to place.
It's the somewhat frustrating and fulfilling experience of writing based off a memory, I suppose. It's never going to be the exact way it happened, because each impression of a memory is tinged with your choice of perception. I try, but I cannot guarantee the authenticity. Still, I hope you enjoy the piece nonetheless!
M didn't just walk, he talked with his walking. He didn't just stride, he strolled and sauntered and sashayed. His red-orange school bag, that stuck out like a traffic cone, swung and danced with his tempo.
He conveyed warmth, enthusiasm, and a genuine personality. His feet always seemed light and upbeat, as if today was a great day. As if, "I'm all ready to make new friends."
But she was too shy to say anything.
She kept an eye out for that living, friendly red bag, seemed to indicate his good mood (if so, he seemed to always be in one).
His walk was boyish. It was playful, light, excited. It was as though walking was the most expressive action -- ever. He made walking interesting for her.
She became conscious of how her feet sloshed the floor, as if she was perpetually drunk, or lazy. Her feet seemed to like the floor (a lot). They didn't skip like his, they slumped and took their time, they shuffled and kept to themselves. They were shy (like her), and would never be caught dancing in public. At most, they twitched.
M's stretched out boldly. His strides were lunge-y, lurch-y. His saunter covered grounds like they were interested and each footstep was assured, comfortable. She liked it best when he talked and walked, because he was both telling and living a story. A story that perhaps would never reach her.
She sighed. She would like to watch him walk.
Footnotes
When you think of conversations, what pops to mind often consists of simply "talking". But walking also conveys emotions, thoughts, feelings.
