He walked—no, more like lugged his heavy feet—along the poorly maintained pavement on a street that he always goes through to get home. With an exhausted sigh, he pulled on the strap of his backpack to adjust the way it slung on his shoulder. He looked up and admired the orange sky as the sun began to sink into the mountains over the horizon.
"Hey, Felix!"
The boy turned his head and waved at the middle-aged woman he had for a neighbor who was tending to her front yard just as how she always did on late afternoons. "Hey there, Mrs. Scott.”
"Just got off from work?"
"Yes. I'll see you around!"
He turned to a corner, and as expected, there were the usual kids playing out on the streets. After briefly sharing high-fives with them and cracking a few jokes he prepared for them the night be
