By Elise Leibowitz
Cruising down the highway, I saw a line of donkeys, trotting along the dusty sidelines of the road. Accompanying them were two men of medium stature. Their bodies were wiry, yet sturdy. Their skin was the color of a bruised banana peel, dark brown and sweet. Both men were in their early forties and held snow white whiskers on their chin. Brightly colored cloths wrapped their heads to protect them from the sun’s wrath. Their feet stepped in earthen toned sandals that looked like the years had worn them out. But their eyes… their eyes were clear sky blue. I couldn’t look away. I was mesmerized. And they invited me inwards, just for a few moments. They held my gaze, and shared their journeys with me. Shared their fears. Their desires. Their love. Their rejections. Their lusts. Their disgusts. I could see it all, displayed in front of me. In two pairs of clear sky blue eyes. One of the donkeys reared up and neighed in fear as a motorbike swerved a tad too close, and the moment expired. The men looked away to their prized possessions and livelihoods. The donkey seemed unbothered and continued meandering. My bus lurched forward and the donkeys, the men and their sky blue eyes fell away into the distance.