The stair that turns too soon

There is a walk-up on Bergsgatan where the stair turns before you are ready. You put your hand out for a wall that isn't there yet. Every time I visit the dentist I forget, and my palm hits air.

The tiles on the half-landing don't match the ones above. Someone repaired a leak and used what the merchant had. The mismatch is the most honest thing in the stairwell.

Why I notice

I measure streets with my feet. This one makes me count. Fourteen steps, a turn that arrives one step early, then nine more. I have not told the dentist. He would think I was stalling.