Tuning the Zippers

I headed back inside through the front door and made a quick stop at the entryway bench. A row of heavy jackets was hanging down from the hooks, and their metal zippers caught my eye immediately. I hopped onto the polished wooden bench, reached up to grip the pull-tab of a navy windbreaker, and slid it upward. The little brass teeth clicked together in a crisp, sharp cadence! I jogged along the wooden slats to try the chunky plastic track on a gray fleece next. It gave a muted, steady zip that sounded completely different. Comparing how each fabric tension changed the pitch turned into an impromptu percussion set.