Remedy

Leaf.

The rain was pitter-pattering on the high-way. It soundlessly thumped on the ground as speeds of cars passed us by. I watched the droplets slowly dripping down to the bottom edge of the window, my face blowing breaths enough to get my little fingers to squeak on them. One plop! Two plop! Three plop!

I could smell the gasoline from oil asphalt in the rain as cars slid their way to the next avenue. Vroom! Vrooooom! A s-splashing rhythm beneath it, as the tires rubbed against the road and drowned in temporary puddles.

A homeless man sat on a bench, drenched from the rain, fiddling with a green leaf. A Mc-donalds burger wrapper sat crumpled together on his lap. I stared at him passing his time, just smiling at what is in his hands. He waved to a few cars, and then glared at our window for a few seconds and looked back down at his leaves.

"But why a leaf? Out of all things he could hold on to, why this?" I ask myself.

The man started whistling and muttering a few words under his breath. He smiled, with a content expression of life and not a single mark of worry on his face. He continued fiddling with the leaves with his fingers, twirling them around the edges, and closing his eyes at peace.

"He's just making the best with what he has. You see, when days shorten up and temperatures are cooler, leaves comes in diverse colors of golds, oranges, red, and browns before they land on the ground from the tree. They are like children re-born, ready to take their next stage in life with a fresher perspective. They land on the ground with their true colors, with such vibrancy and infinite energy, but in such a delicate way. They're quite hopeful you know, and you could say the change of color would be a mark of that," he says as he stares at the leaves like it's the most breathtaking symbol he has ever seen.

"Aww wow, how wonderful. So you would say, this leaf gives him hope and reminds him of his childhood, perhaps him growing up or doing something wonderful. I think, he was a war veteran, it looks like to me," I smile.

"Yes, he must have been through some hard troubles, but he is blessed with what he has anyways. Look at him! Nothing to worry about. You see, Chlorophyll gives leaves that basic green color. However, it's photosynthesis that allows it to react chemically and use sunlight in order to sort out sugars for food."

"Oh, but how does it change colors?" I ask.

"The leaf he is holding is not the kind that has yet changed colors. It's green because Chlorophyll has continuously been produced. Now for color blast! When cool weather comes in, it closes in all the veins, which prevents the sugars from coming out. This creates pigment, and yeah it's a quite fascinating step, honestly." 

"Wow, beautiful. We the people, ahem, are like leaves," I grinned. 

"Yep," he laughed.