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Living in the city, sometimes you find the most unexpected things in unexpected places. Today was one of those times. Every morning, I go to the park to exercise. At that time of day, the majority of the world is still asleep. It’s nice and peaceful. I see squirrels busy foraging for food. I see pigeons and other types of birds doing the same. I see early rising owners with their dogs, and joggers who pass me by. As I reached the spot where I was about to turn around and head back, I spotted something on a bench that enticed me to stop and walk over. To my surprise, I found about 20 old romance books, mainly Harlequins, neatly lined up. They seemed to wait patiently for someone to discover them and take them to good home. I perused the covers of these old books, published between the 1980 and 2002, with great interest. Some of the titles included: This Precious Moment What if We Fall in Love The House of Seven Fountains Hunter’s Snare Forever Summer Lightening Moon Showers Face value The Third Mrs. Mitchel Spitting Image The One Who Almost Got Away Without a Trace Moon Flowers Home for Christmas Tall, Dark, and Irresistible My Very Own Millionaire.

I was so tempted to pick them up, although returning with an armful of books would have been uncomfortable. And while I would normally jump at the chance to take a book, especially a free one, I hesitated. The last things I need are more books. Currently, several To-Be-Read piles are positioned all over the floor in my room. Each hold up the ceiling. Quite honestly, I knew I wouldn’t have time to read these books. Neither would I have space for them. A quick scan of the books showed me that there were no Betty Neels books. If there were, I would have snatched them without hesitation. I looked at the books longingly but decided to leave them behind. I moved away a few feet and then returned for one last look.

Remembering I had my camera with me, I decided to take photos instead. What am I doing with a camera while I’m exercising? Lately, I’ve been taking photos of different scenes and subjects of my surrounding. I’ve become an amateur photographer and am never without my camera. Taking photos was a much easier way to take the books back with me. Tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll find all the books gone. What other unusual discovery will I make in the park, next time, I wonder? I’m reminded of the time I saw a humongous sized turkey-like looking bird. It clearly did not belong in the park – but that’s another story for another time…

Paz Edwards

My Mannekin Pis corkscrew souvenir from Belgium