He’s sitting on a wooden bench listening to the gravel crunch underneath the feet of passerbys. The weather is lovely as the wind ruffles the branches of the surrounding palm trees. Thanks to a loud rain that bounced off the tin roof the night prior, the temperatures have dropped. More people are sitting out and enjoying the cool breeze.

Different people from different lands greet him as they walk past. The community is becoming comfortable with him as he is with them. He hears the call to prayer in the distance and wonders who will follow suit. He dives back into a book he just started and is pleased with its first few pages. With a subconscious fear of time being taken away, he ferociously reads as much as he can, whenever he can, wherever he can. A thought crosses his mind. He believes others review him as the pipe smoking reader. He’s amused at their perception.

He sees someone go into their quarters, close the door, and hears the Velcro from their vest as they remove it from their weary body. Everyone now wears vests but moods are kept calm by the cooler weather. A light breeze, velcro, and books are his peace for the foreseeable future, and he’s okay with that. It could always be worse.