‘I Ran Home to Grab a Measuring Tape and Then Returned’

Nook Cupboard

Expensive Diary:

I dwell in Astoria. At some point, whereas I used to be out strolling and speaking on the telephone with my mother, I noticed a porter put a fantastic nook cupboard subsequent to a pile of trash exterior the church a couple of doorways down from my constructing.

It was a top quality piece that I knew would look nice in my house, so I ran house to seize a measuring tape after which returned to see whether or not it was the precise measurement.

As I used to be measuring, I heard a mild voice from behind me.

“Will it match?”

I circled to see a younger man standing there.

I mentioned goodbye to my mother and turned again to the younger man.

“I feel so,” I mentioned.

“I’ll carry it for you, if you happen to’d like,” he mentioned.

How might I refuse?

With out saying a phrase, he lifted the cupboard up simply and hoisted it over his shoulder. We set off down the road after which up the steps once we bought to my constructing.

As soon as we had gotten inside and the cupboard was in place, I wasn’t positive easy methods to thank him.

He observed my piano.

“Will you play me a tune?”

— Katie Coleman

A True Gentleman

Expensive Diary:

I hopped right into a cab that was stopped at a pink mild on Park Avenue. The taxi was immaculate, and the driving force was, as my mother and father would say, a real gentleman.

All of the sudden, midway to the place I used to be going, he requested: As we’re at a pink mild, could I feed the birds?

Sure, I nodded.

He hopped out of the cab clutching a big bag of seed and commenced to unfold it amongst a large group of pigeons that have been loitering on the mall.

Do you do that typically? I requested when he returned.

It’s exhausting to discover a meal in winter, particularly for smaller birds, he mentioned.

Then he burrowed into one other bag to throw a big bread crumb or two to an expectant sparrow.

— Marcia D.B. Levy

Fishing

Expensive Diary:

My husband returned from lunch fairly forlorn. Certainly one of his earbuds had popped out on the way in which house, bounced off a pile of leaves and fallen by means of a sewer grate.

Wanting down, he might see it resting on some leaves beneath. Considering he may be capable of fish it out, he wrapped an extended wire to a penlight with a magnetic deal with. He was capable of carry it as excessive because the sewer grate, which was too slim to get it by means of.

He needed to get to a gathering, so he was compelled to surrender. I made a decision to provide it a attempt earlier than the solar set.

Armed with a small however highly effective magnet tied to an extended wire, I regarded by means of the grate, spied the earbud and tried my luck. I, too, managed to get it on the magnet, however I couldn’t get it by means of the grate both, and it fell again down.

“Fishing for one thing?” I heard a person say.

I circled to search out two development staff standing there. I instructed them what I used to be fishing for. Certainly one of them eliminated the grate, requested for the magnet and pulled the earbud up effortlessly. Then he put the grate again on, they usually walked away.

— Miriam Ok. Tierney

On a Brooklyn Roof

Expensive Diary:

i used to be on a roof in Brooklyn wanting down
and had a digicam packed, pulled it out
and loaded my final black & white roll of movie.
patiently holding nonetheless.

noticed an empty chook’s nest on a window sill.
guess all of them discovered to fly, want ’em properly.

noticed a well-dressed lady put mail in her purse
and a tricycle with a lacking wheel within the grime.

for what it’s price:
{a photograph}’s the one path to time journey in reverse.

throughout the road,
what regarded like a fort at first
was actually simply the again of the church.

if I bought to the rooftop earlier,
would’ve had extra time earlier than the moon turning up.

so it wasn’t that lengthy until i put the lens cap again on
and I walked downstairs — quick ahead:

again on the block onto the practice platform
and the doorways have been open,
what extra might I ask for?

— Leo Coltrane

Sensible Man

Expensive Diary:

I used to be crossing Madison Avenue on a highly regarded August day. Visitors was largely frozen as a Cadillac edged previous a truck and stopped for the sunshine.

The driving force of the truck bought out and began yelling on the driver of the Cadillac, whose home windows have been rolled up.

“What are you silly or one thing?” he yelled.

The Cadillac’s window rolled down slowly.

“Silly?” the person behind it mentioned. “Who’s driving the truck and who’s driving the Cadillac?”

— Alan H. Zwiebel

Learn all latest entries and our submissions tips. Attain us by way of electronic mail diary@nytimes.com or observe @NYTMetro on Twitter.

Illustrations by Agnes Lee