Securing the Cable

Foot traffic died down at the intersection, leaving the street corner dark. I moved from the tree base toward an obsolete steel telephone kiosk bolted near the curb. At the rear footing, an armored spiral cable sheath had pulled loose from its cast collar, sagging onto the damp pavement. I braced my boots against the steel mounting plate, gripped the ribbed metal sheath with both hands, and worked it clockwise until the threaded lip caught the retainer flange. With a firm shove, it seated back into position. Solid grounding. With the perimeter clear, I took a perch on the concrete lip to watch the traffic lights cycle.