His facial expression seemed to convey the strangest combinations of what his heart apparently projected. He peered down on me with a look of curiosity, a look of musing, a look of hope, a look of familiarity and a look of distance. Then squinted his eyes at a photo he held in his right hand. Then back at me with a tinge of sadness, a tinge of loss, a tinge of hurt but a glimmer of an idea.

"Shall we?" He beckoned, with arm outstretched to the path beside autumn trees, laden with orange-brown leaves. I nodded politely. I felt I could perhaps keep this mysterious man company. He seemed to have lost something or somebody. Some lonely people are very good company, I thought blindly.

He began, "My daughter's lost something, I wonder if you could help me find it."
"Why it just so happens I have a little time on my hands...not much, but a little."
"Ahh. A little will have to do," he sighed. I smiled.
"You see, my daughter's been acting differently ever since she lost it."
"Mm? And what is it that she's lost? It sounds valuable."
"Ahh! Because it is!" his eyes sparkled with excitement at my observation. "It is the very thing that makes her smile at people in passing and the very thing that makes her cry for passing people."
"She sounds like a lovely girl!"
"Oh, she is! When she wants to be," He sighed, "but lately, since she's lost this something, she's been less lovely, more insecure, less appreciative, more vain, less caring and more careless."
"Oh dear! We better find this something then! Do you have any idea what it is?"
"I know exactly what it is."
"Well, what is it?!" I asked, glancing quickly at my watch.

He paused and turned to face me, searching my eyes for something. A little confused I allow him entry as his eyes search mine and a certain familiarity cascades this man's features.

"Do I know you from somewhere?"
"Perhaps. You remind me of my daughter. You look like her. But..."
"But?.." I walked with him for a quiet minute more, then realised the time. "I'm terribly sorry! I really have to go now! I hope you find what your daughter's lost!" Apologetic but hastily I begin my brisk walk back the beautiful path we'd travelled. I used to love these autumn trees, I just don't have the time to appreciate them anymore!

He sighed, I was a small figure a distance and a world apart in a matter of thirty four seconds. He looked again at the photo of me he still held in his right hand and slipped it into his pocket, as he looked at my trail of shuffled footprints.

"Purpose, dear. Purpose."