Wishing Wells

...I wait.

There was a shuffle of feet on the sidewalk. It sounded like smoothed out sand paper rubbing a shiny stone, his footsteps were gentle and well placed. Every check his foot made against the ground was followed by the click of his cane. He was a tall man, thin, and very systematic in his movement. Nothing he did was without purpose. I couldn't help but stare at the hat that wore, quit similar to ones I wear - a driving hat. It was black and tucked neatly underneath it was a field of gray swaying stalks that darted from the hat and hid behind his ears. He was humming an amazing song, glimpses of which I was able to pick up. Yes, I knew it well; humming "If it had not of been" he reached into his pocket and removed a shiny quarter and looked over at me.

I stared back and wondered what secret, if any was resting behind those story filled eyes. He continued to hum and began rubbing the quarter between his fingers.

"What did you wish for young man," he said to me.

"Good question," pausing I told him, "I haven't figured it out yet."

"Oh, you've got to know," his cane clicked on the ground and he tapped the edge of the reflecting pool that held many hopes and few dreams. "Why else would you come to pool unless you've plans on making a wish?"

"I think wishing is a waste of time," I said as I grew uncomfortable with him moving closer to me.

Flicking his coin into the pool, "Look at how it twists and turns on the way to the bottom. My mom used to tell me that the ones that merely glided to the bottom didn't churn the water well enough to create magic."

Raring my hand back to drop my coin into the pool as well..."Stop!" he yelled. "Don't throw your coin in yet, you've not told an old man what it is you're wishing for...