teacher  

i was asked to play football by a few students in my 3rd period class. i accepted. i think they were excited at the chance to tackle the teacher. we were to meet saturday at 1pm at Riis Park (6100 w. fullerton). but at one fifteen, when i arrived, i could not find any of the students. so i walked around for half an hour. at one point, in a quiet section of the park (it's a big park), i became engrossed in the sound of the crunch-crunch and squeak of my sneakers against the sidewalk snow. looking down, i noticed a pigeon walking beside me. he was walking with me, not scared and about to fly away, but there as if he was a little shorty following me through the park. still walking, i turned my head and noticed a few more birds. then maybe ten more flew in and landed behind them. i started walking slower to see if they would become frightened and fly away.
no.
they were following me.
i stopped. they slowed and sort of gathered in a bunch behind me, milling about and waiting for me to continue forward. so i walked. and they walked, too. every now and then i would slow down and watch them gather. sometimes a few would lag, pecking at some tiny piece of something resembling food, and then look up, flap their wings and catch up to the group. we walked slowly for maybe 50 yards. then, for no apparent reason to me, they flew away. up and away. each one of them back towards where they came from and over a small hill. gone. i stood for a minute looking back and then continued on.