One of the Regulars

We have a new regular.

It comes in through the front doors. Sometimes it comes straight in, and other times it pauses on the footpath sign out front, sits there briefly, then moves inside. Most days it appears around lunchtime, though it will show up at other times as well. On Anzac Day, when the shop didn’t open until 1pm, it was already waiting outside.

The route is consistent. It lands first on the popular fiction table just inside the door. From there, a short flight to the far end of the counter. Occasionally it drops down behind the counter and comes up toward staff, watching. It doesn’t go further into the shop. It never heads across to the comic stands on the right. After a few minutes, it leaves the same way it came, straight out the door.

There’s no obvious reason for it to be here. There isn’t any food at the counter. It doesn’t peck at anything. It sits and looks around, observing people in the shop. Sometimes it chirps.

At first I tried to move it on. There was the risk it might get stuck inside or cause a mess. It didn’t take much notice. Over time, the visits settled into routine.

There’s a point where something stops being new and just becomes part of how a place works. It moves through the same path each time, without hesitation. It comes in, follows the same route, stays a few minutes, and leaves.

One of the regulars.