I exited the bus stop carrying a bulky school backpack that was weighed down. I sighed, wishing I didn't still have to walk ten minutes to get home. I started walking home slowly. There were some rough spots on the walkway, so I may have fallen if I hadn't been careful. My train of thinking was cut short by an abrupt barking, and I looked to my left. There was a modest white home with a red roof that slanted. The words “Beware of dog” were prominently printed on a small white signboard located immediately outside the gate. I chose to ignore the warning and made a hasty exit from the house. The houses that followed resembled the ones I had just passed.

A young woman appeared in the doorway holding a baby. My mother noticed a new neighbor a few days ago; this must be him. I moved forward, wanting to get past the red brick home of an eccentric old guy who frequently shouted threats at passersby. I could see that he had let the garden to get wild through the wrought iron gate. I considered the number of months that had passed since a gardener had visited.

Before going on, I took a quick sip of water from the fountain that a sacred person had placed outside his house to comfort my dry mouth. I could see the mailman, in his beautiful white uniform, delivering a couple envelopes to each home in the distance. I noticed him carrying a large package covered in brown paper to the house I thought was vacant.

I eventually made out my house in the distance; it was hidden away in a cul-de-sac among five other homes. The same contractor built every home in the cul de sac, so while the architecture was the same, owners frequently added their own touches. My parents placed bougainvillea plants next to our towering fence but left the lofty walls white-washed. The coloured grows were clearly visible from a distance because they had flowered extensively. There was a tiny park in the middle of the ring de sac, and kids from the area around it also went there. It offered a track for running for those who were health minded, a pair of swings, and a slide. A little lake in the park with a few cackling ducks was another highlight. Later that day, I decided to go feed the ducks that day. I was just happy to be home at that point after a hard day at school.