A Steady Turn

I pushed past the lobby glass doors to get some fresh air outside. At the top of the wide granite steps, tucked against the smooth balustrade post, someone had dropped a heavy brass radiator key with an open clover handle. I walked over with measured steps, planted my boots on the sunlit stone, and slid both hands through the rounded brass loops. With a deliberate, slow turn, I rolled the notched socket across the textured granite until it settled into a shallow seam with a dull, satisfying clink. I sat back on the stone, crossed my boots, and rested an elbow against the cool brass. Passersby strolled down the sidewalk at an easy weekend drift.