I heard the door close as I stepped up to the urinal. Feet pointing straight forward aligned with the knees at a comfortable shoulder width distance apart. Once I had my spine in line and eyes set at a proud angle, I let my hips drop a bit. I’ve taken to using a slight bend in the knees lately. It’s been feeling good. 

The turning of a knob and the swish of the worn rubber seal over the tile floor. Someone else.

The footfalls sped towards me and turned the corner to where I stood at the urinals. My stream had just begun. 

A quick zip and then silence. An acute silence, like someone holding their hands over your ears. 

This guy is serious, I thought. Huh. And then he started peeing to match. 

The streams flew, the time passed, cells replicated. And then, to my surprise, I heard the same zip! My neighbor had finished peeing. At the same moment my stream had come to a halt. I repackaged myself and by that time the man had turned the corner, the footfalls hammering towards the sink. 

I heard the rush of water and the spat of the faucet as I now made my way over to wash. I saw the man. I saw the faucet, shouting the water into the ivory bowl below it. Then a flash as the man passed his hands together once and then twice through the water before turning it off. Not even a shake to expel the water before pushing the door’s handle down and shouldering himself out to the open air. 

I walked to the sink and pressed the soap foamer with the butt of my palm. 

That man thinks he’s beaten me, I thought. 

With the other hand I turned the water on and let it run. The rushing static filled the room.