#27

The man has a knot in the drawstring of his pants. He does not notice it right away. As he walks, his pants start to sag. He pulls them up when he gets to the street corner, thinking he will use the time it takes for the light to change to tighten his pants. This is when he discovers the knot. He begins to gently pluck the white strings, thinking it will be an easy knot and that he will just need to loosen the mass with a tug here and there. But it is not an easy knot. His fingers are too large to penetrate the tightly wound jumble. He takes his keys from his pocket and tries to use the metal teeth to pick his way in. He is becoming quite frantic now. Stabbing at his waistband with force, trying to catch the line and pull apart the mess. He is not aware that the light has now changed several times; that to those passing by, he is a disgusting man standing at the corner fiddling with his crotch. Then finally, a release. The strings give way like fainting ladies, slack and easy. He hikes up his pants and ties a careful bow, securing the pants snuggle above his hip bones. He can now concentrate on more important things, like texting his lover and avoiding getting hit while jay walking.