13 August. The Observer was in a flap. A new entity had arrived in its domain, sucking up all the surrounding energy. It had been deposited by a middle-aged female human, mid-afternoon.
On the human’s first attempt to launch the object The Observer had watched from a distance as the wind blew it up into the air, crashing back onto the pavement. As the human crossed the road, dodging the tourists with their cameras and rucksacks, she refolded the object in an attempt to make it more aerodynamic. Launching it again, however, the object failed to pick up a thermal and bombed onto a ledge of the bridge, lying wanly on its side, out of reach of everybody but the birds.
After a while watching from a window ledge on one of the human cliff faces, The Observer glided down to sit beside it, turning its head on its side in welcome, checking out the competition. There was no struggle, but also no eating on it. It was like a food wrapper, but without the lingering benefits. It lay there, sheltered from the prevailing wind, occasionally soaked, but then drying out despite the lack of sun in this shaded spot.
23 August: The Observer had forgotten about the new entity. It was enjoying the air currents, flying backwards and forwards under the bridge, listening to the buses above and the tourists’ wheeled suitcases below.
There were two elderly male humans, in plain black plumage, making their farewells. One tapped slowly up the steps to Waverley, the other gathering pace as he walked in the direction of Leith. He stopped suddenly, leaning his briefcase against the wall of the bridge, and loosening his outer layers. He removed a square of cotton from his jacket pocket and, after unfolding it carefully, shaking out some fluff, he dabbed at his forehead, lingering at a scab at the top of his head.
The Observer had flown its circuit under the bridge a dozen times, taking things in, quite relaxed by the rhythm of the tall male human’s gait. But on its next loop back towards Waverley Station, The Observer veered suddenly off course, aware of a threat incoming from above. It took evasive action, landing on the roof of a parked taxi. Hawkeyed, The Observer watched as the elderly male human bent down to pick up what The Observer recalled was a disappointing wrapper.
THE OBSERVER
3 October 2023
GANTOB blog 