The Eleven O'Clock Sparrow
mysteryEveryoneFor nine years, same time, same place. 11 o'clock sharp—this brown sparrow lands on the fountain's third spoke, cocks its head, stays exactly forty seconds. I set my watch by it. Never late. Never early. Tuesday it didn't show. The square was empty. No people. No tourists. Just me. And for the first time in nine years, I knew why I needed it to be here.
11:02. Coffee cold. I checked my watch every ten seconds like an idiot. The sparrow never missed. "Looking for something?" Old guy on the bench behind me, eating a sandwich. How long had he been sitting there?
What happens next?
2 ways forward"The sparrow," I said. It sounded stupid out loud. He smiled like I'd told a joke. "Oh. You're the watch guy. Been coming here nine years." How did he know that? "Never missed once," he said. "Until today."