Crafted by angels – Chapter 7

As she left the tavern, she looked on to the magnificent view down below. That was the price she paid for having the chance to get that view. She looked on to the three companions that were hiking down with her. Going downhill shouldn’t be so bad.

 

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He checked his phone several times. She had not replied. He sighed. Perhaps he had imagined it all. Perhaps it was how she treated all the people she had met along the way. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He opened it and looked out from the Tower into the vast land beyond what the eyes could see. Down below, he looked at the young couples picnicking on the fields. They were laughing, teasing each other. Some of them just lay down soaking in the beautiful weather.

 

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“I would like to go and see the castles; could you tell me how I could get there?”

“At this hour?”

“Is it closed?”

“It closes at 5”

 

She checked her watch. It was 3:30.

 

“Are the castles far away?”

“It takes about 20 minutes by bus to the base of the mountain, then the hike depends on you.”

 

She groans internally. Another hike? What is this? Since when did she sign up for Bear Gryll’s Adventure Time? She was not drinking pee.

 

“Well, I’ll go tomorrow then.”

 

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He looked up at the clock, waiting for the show to begin. There were scores of people crowding around; also waiting for the show. He grunted. He did not like to be stuck in one spot. His cousin was merrily snapping pictures of the square. He was thirsty. He looked around.

 

~Warm wine~

 

It’s hot outside and they are advertising warm wine? Why on earth would I want warm wine when the sun is eating at my neck? It does not make sense.

 

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She panted and grunted as she clambered up the hill. It was steep. It was cold, and raining. There was horse manure everywhere. Oh look, there’s a slug having a meal. Wonderful. Just wonderful. At least this time she wasn’t lost; or at least she didn’t think she was, and she wasn’t alone in the forest, and the forest had proper roads this time; not just trails.

You see? If you hadn’t been so badly lost, alone, carrying a heavy load, on trails full of bugs and the hot sun beating down on you, you would be thinking that this was bad. But look, at least now you are not carrying such a heavy load, you have snacks and water should you need it, there’s plenty of people you could ask if you need to, and…

 

But I’m tired!

 

So? Sit down. What are you rushing for?

 

She stopped. With a grunt, she spotted a bench far off near a lake. It was wet, but her poncho was long enough that she could sit down on it and not have a wet butt.

 

As she sat down, she turned to look at the path she had just hiked up through. She held her breath. It was stunning. Did I just walk past that? She thought.

 

She thought back to all the terrible bumps and grumps that had brought her there. It was hard to hike up, yes, but if she hadn't, then how would she have had that view? Or if she had spent the whole hike grumbling and whining in self-pity; if her eyes were always transfixed onto the road ahead, then she wouldn’t have realized the beauty she had just walked past. Or if she had taken the horse carriage and been like the princess being brought up to the castle, then she wouldn’t have had the option to stop and look back at the scenes behind her – the canvas would have shielded her view.

 

If only the destination mattered, that it didn’t matter how you got there as long as you did, then those are the people who are convinced that they are equal to others merely by title. If I graduated from this Ivy League and you graduated from the same Ivy League then we are equal. Never mind that daddy made a huge donations so I could be there but you had to work three part-time jobs just to be able to barely make tuition; we are equal. Those are the people that think that their horse carriages make them better, that the fact that they did not have to trudge through the horse manure in order to reach the top makes them on a higher level than those who had hiked up.

 

Sometimes, when you are facing hardship, you have to take the time to look back to realize how beautiful the scenery you have passed really is. But if you look too often, then you won’t move forward, and the scene will always be the same. It loses its captivating powers. If you tell yourself from the beginning that the hike will be too hard, then you never know whether or not you were capable of completing it, or at what pace. And does the fastest pace really mean the best? Think back to the scenes you would have missed out on.

 

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Home. Home is where the wifi connects automatically, and one poops most comfortably. His stomach growls. He bends down to open his fridge. The petrified bananas inside sneered at him. He will tend to that someday. Not right now, but someday. He had many things to do. House needs to be cleaned, the tree has to be moved, groceries need to be bought, laundry has to be done.

 

He turned up the music, and started about his chores. He was happy, and had good reason to be.