A Break Abbreviated

A Break Abbreviated

Dominic Gregorio
MD Class of 2026

I leaned on brass and pushed into cool, conditioned air.

Boom, boom. Black steel-toes landed on faded entryway fibers. Boom. Echoes alerted all, then reverberated faintly from scuffed hardwood’s counterparts above and below. Thump. Tossed bags found targets on living room carpet. Zip. Zip. Freed feet kicked constraining armor aside, then stretched to stride towards cold kitchen tile.

Saved dinner sizzled and snapped. Through steam and summer beams, I spied beef and noodles, borderline boiling, that obviously obeyed house rules: “Serve hot food hot.” Late again, I unloaded diverse devices onto tabletop oak and sat down alone. Familiar flavors flooded in as I scooped up several scalding bites.

Squawk. Vibrating violently, and totally devoid of dinnertime decorum, boxy black plastic began to crackle and beep. Like busy signals on old telephones, annoying tones meant all parties were occupied. Put precisely, county control was pleading for off-duty personnel to respond.

I chewed and swallowed, then shoveled one mouthful to-go. Room temp remainders would be waiting upon return. House rules hate unpredictable schedules.

Without wasting effort on organization, I clutched diverse devices in hand. Four wooden feet grated loudly behind me as I pushed hard on tabletop oak. I stood and tiptoed to cross cold kitchen tile. Tapping into latent Little League training, I skipped once and slid swiftly across scuffed hardwood, landing triumphantly on entryway fibers as if I had stolen home base.

Zip. Echoes be damned. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Sweaty socks bunching in black boots, straps slightly askew, lefty half-zipped, too late now. Woosh. Wood and glass swung inwards, inviting swampy summer air to gust through holes in helpless screen. I pushed, spun, yanked, and hopped with athletic intent. Instantly outsmarted, white painted metal smacked me from behind. Wood and glass struck me twice in front for good measure, then bounced back on brass hinges. White metal buzzed in laughter, wiry screen shaking within with glee. Time too tight to spend on temper tantrums, I exhaled embarrassment and inhaled grace.

Bending back till butt met white metal, and stretching forward till free fingers reached retreating brass, I strove to coax two opposites into some kind of threshold compromise.

Nimbler now, I pulled gently on brass and juked right to dodge white metal. Hiss. White metal swung to meet amicably with patiently awaiting wood, and wiry screen to glass like old friends.

Black steel-toes landed on well-worn cement. Suddenly, I weighed more as I gazed inward through wispy wire and glazed glass. Bucking gravity, I turned to squint towards setting sun and heaved away from home again.