An unexpected visit

An unexpected visit

The cold afternoon of October brought a sudden harsh wind, which helped me to reach the train station faster as it pushed me down the street. With my luggage and backpack I went to the train station, but it was still too early for I was eager to get home. No one to be seen, the place was filled with the singing of birds and the whispering voices of leafs in the wind. I set down inside the train and the burning colours of dusk over the horizon passed gently through the window, those last western rays of the sun smoothly warmed my face, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath filling my lungs with a new vigor and exhaling the longing for home. Time went on without warning and before I realized the train was already ongoing, with few people scattered in the carriage where I was. The train with its bumps cradle me and I fell asleep, but was quickly woken by a sudden and abrupt stop of the train, I did not realize what was happening because my mind was still partly inside a dream as my eyes slowly opened for a still blurred reality. People went to and fro outside my window, there was too much comings and goings, but I stood at my seat in silence, waiting. In a few minutes the train was on the move again and I was glad, for every inch I left behind, it was the closest from home I could ever be. Usually on my way home or leaving it by train or any other kind of transportation, I go alone on my seat, forlorn with only my thoughts as a companion. The train is a remarkably adviser when we are left alone with our own mind, and exceptional good stories are made while the landscape outside changes, everything around us changes, and yet we remain the same and our mind wanders into fantastical places. As I was minding my own business and writing a few books in my mind, a young fellow sat in front of me with a smile from ear to ear, glittering brown eyes, sallow-faced and dark hair, he was no younger than me at that time. He didn't stop looking at me and smiling, I pretended that I wasn't noticing, but then I thought that he might knew me from somewhere or we probably met each other years ago, although it seemed to me that that could be the first time I was actually seeting my eyes upon this figure, how rude of me it was not greeting this stranger that seemed so eager to speak to me. I turned to him and as I was beginning to open my mouth to let friendly words come out, he anticipated my gesture and spoke first, and this is what he said to me:
- "Hello!" - said he without letting his smile fade away, and in answer I said - "Well Hello to you too... I'm terribly sorry but.. do we know each other? I don't seem to recal your face from any place" - and then I added - "I'm very good with faces, I never forget one, and yours isn't familiar.." - His eyes never blinked and as I was waiting for an elaborated answer from his part, he simply said - "No!.. we do not know each other." - an awkward silence filled the air and he continued - "This is actually the first time we met and I am so eager to share with someone my tale.." - well I could notice that, but I remained deprived of any commentary and waited - "You see... as I was entering the train I noticed you, as anyone else seemed to be busy, I turned to you to share my tale because I can't keep to myself such joy." - "By all means, please do tell." - said I, and thus our long conversation began, and every word he spoke to me I will now write to you as if it was the very person telling you the tale.

"Few years ago it seemed that I couldn't take any joy in living, while the world around me was falling apart, little control had I over the events of my daily life. I remember that I was completly listless and seldom a smile anyone could push out of me. My only plesure was to sleep, traveling in the realm of dreams, in places where anything was possible, but the many dreams I had, naught stood in waking memory, all I could remember is that I was free in such dreams, whatever those were. One day I woke up during the night, after an entire day lying on bed waiting for.. well.. anything that could lift my spirit, I got out of the door and went to the nearest woodland in the surroundings of my town. Upon reaching the site, I dove deep into the woodland, embroiled in shadow, till I found a glade that had nothing but tall grass and a rock here and there bathed by the moon light. Right in the very middle of this glade there was a woman, simple but beautiful with a long blue dress and a ribbon of the same colour on her long hair that seemed dyed with dried blood. At that moment I felt my own heart beating, a thing that I thought to be lost deep within my chest. She looked upon me and spoke with her eyes, her bright hazel eyes, and we both grabbed the hands of each other. The night went on and no word was spoken. The next day I had something to live for, and I eagerly waited for the night time to see her again in the exact same spot. As night came, I never looked back once I got out of the door and ran straight to the glade. So there she was, this time I had so many questions in mind and I poured out as many as I could. I got to know that she wasn't from the town nor anywhere near, but as a child she used to play in that place, so the last week of October she would always be there and we could always be together on that last week of that month.
I waited an entire year for that last week to come again and it finally did. I was thrilled to be with her again, and the night I have been waiting that entire year finally came and I ran for it. I was afraid that she wasn't there, but fortunately there was no disappointment, she was there indeed, she hadn't change a bit. I took my chances, I told her that I loved her, after all... I would only have the last week of October to be with her, and then I had to wait an unbearable year, suffocating in anguish, and that thought was excruciating. There was never a dull moment, all that we ought to have done we did until the last day of October finally came and I stood by her till the next morning, the first of November. I woke up alone in the cold morning, my clothes were completly soaked with the morning dew. For seven years we lived like this, we only saw each other one week every year, cursed week shouted I ! Naught was more unbearable than the long waiting, my heart was being torn asunder. None seemed to believe my story and the only advise given to me was to let it go, let that fantasy be kept hidden in the night vault where all desires should be locked away from the cold steel called reality. I waited for that week once more and for the last time, I was ready to put an end to this, when it came to me the reason why we could only be together during this time. I wept for too long until I forgot the reason why I was weeping. This morning, a couple of hours before this very moment, I found a way to be with her, to reach her in the far corners of my thoughts, and by the time the sun delves into the earth far in the western horizon, from out of the darkness a new light shall spring forth, she will come to me and I to her. Look friend, the hour is upon us, such joy I have that I couldn't contain it, I'm standing between the fine line of amazement and awe. The hour is Nigh! For a few frames of second you will be able to see the light coming from the veiled sky. Look friend, there it is.."

As I turned my head to look outside and back again, he was no more. By the gods! The look on my face must have been quite a sight! I got up and looked from one end to another of the carriage, too few were those standing there, some half asleep, others completly aloof. I looked down to my hands, I could feel the cold, I rubbed my hands and a warmer temperature started to come. I was quite awake! I sat down gazing the void of darkness outside and I saw my own image reflected on the window, I laughed, but not a loud laughter, only a subtle laugh shaking my head the way we all do when we realize how obvious something is.



Arith Härger



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