32 Oak Street
Work & Worth

For the Pen Pal Who Heard Me Play

by EventideDirge5 · 1mo

I'm standing in the empty hallway of the elementary school my twin teaches at.

It's summer break. The only sound is the hum of the air conditioner.

I reach for my wallet to get money for lunch. I feel the corner of a boarding pass.

It's from last month, when I finally flew to meet my pen pal. We'd been writing since we were eight.

She lived near a delta too, but hers was different. More salt, more boats.

I told her about this town, about the church where I play the organ. In her town, I played for her at her small church.

She said it was like hearing all my letters come alive.

Now, in this silent hallway, I realize that's what I'm still doing. Playing for someone who truly listens.

That's the worth I was looking for.

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For the Pen Pal Who Heard Me Play — 32 Oak Street