The Bench Scheduled for Removal

The council notice described the bench outside Farah's building as damaged street furniture. To her, it was where she had eaten lunch during her first lonely month in the city. She wrote an objection immediately, explaining its importance to local life. She did not mention that she had barely sat there during the previous five years.

A neighbour supported the removal because the broken seat caught on his trousers. Another wanted space for bicycles. At the residents' meeting, Farah felt protective of the bench in a way she could not justify through practical arguments. When asked how often she used it, she gave an evasive answer and disliked the sound of her own voice.

Afterwards, she went outside and sat on the damaged wood. Traffic was louder than she remembered, and the bakery opposite had become an office. A delivery rider asked whether she was waiting for someone. She almost said yes. In fact, she was waiting for a version of the street that could no longer arrive, even if the bench survived.

Farah withdrew her objection to replacing it, but asked whether the new design could include seating beside the bicycle spaces. The council agreed to consider it, which was not a promise. When the old bench was removed, she watched from upstairs without taking a photograph. That evening, she ate outside on the low wall. A neighbour joined her, careful not to block the pavement.