As the sky transitioned into an evening mauve, the streak of white cloud that hung precariously during the day evaporated with the going of the sun. Slowly and gradually the warm stillness of the day is chased away by the breezy evening, a changing-the-guard event which I am all too glad of. The residual daylight barely illumined the torn, yellowing pages of the used textbook, as sitting at the outdoor stone bench outside the Central Library I became a more voracious reader than usual. I read on, hoping to catch up on the reading schedule prescribed by my first-ever online class. The previous occupant of this bench had scattered small bits and crumbs of bread and flattened popcorn underneath the bench, thus attracting a troupe of pigeons gawking not far away from me at the morsels. A few brave ones caught me unaware and ventured cautiously under the bench to grab away what's left. A few more pages turned and the words became strained by the enveloping semi-darkness. On one command the street lights start casting a strange pall over the library veranda, intermingling with the dark purplish evening; the outdoor corridor is no longer conducive to reading. I walked into the underground parking, taking the stair on purpose so as to make up for the complete lack of exercise that is of my current life. By the time I steered the car onto the downtown surface street, the sky had turned completely dark, and the high level of artificial illuminations had put up an imaginary big tent to prevent the evening and the star from crushing down.

Tags: Summer, Evening