a spark

Tranquil tree

It is always so loud in the countryside. You can't rest, can't get away from this noise. It's infinite, it's all-encompassing, it's...

"It's quiet" — he thinks.

He got here 3 days ago. Mom sent him over to grandma's house for summer holidays. He just finished first year in school. Walking took up most of his time here...

The road alongside the riverbank went on for a little while. Then, when the houses ended, the road turned right. He could see the forest, but it would take a bit to get there.

The forest was dark and a bit cold even on the sunniest of days. Trees reached up so high that they almost weaved around each other. He was small. They were monumental.

Somewhere along the way the trees cleared up for a bit to reveal a small meadow. Raspberries shined in the sun. If someone could look into his eyes at that moment, they would see a night sky, but instead of the stars there would be small, tasty looking red dots.

The road made a circle around the forest, on the other side of which an expansive valley opened up. He stopped and looked at it. He didn't know that grass could be similar to water. The wind was creating endless green waves, that spanned far and wide. He kept on eating the berries that were stuffed into his pockets...

When the valley disappeared behind him the berries were already gone. He kept walking, seeing the river on the left and the forest on the right. The main road should be somewhere in front of him...

By the time he reached it, all of the berry juice transferred from his fingers to his white t-shirt. Well... no longer that white.

Legs were tired, mind was empty. A stump by the roadside looked as comfortable as the softest couch in the world. A big snail on the side of it agreed, as they both were zoning out in the shallow shade of a birch tree that stood nearby.

As the light started to become warmer and dimmer, the birch no longer protected him from the sun beaming straight into his sleepy tired face. The snail was no longer there.

Coming home he noticed another snail. It was so small that no adult could see it. It was a part of the world exclusive to him.

The view from his bedroom was blocked by a tree, the one where he found the small snail. This birch was a lot bigger than the one by the side of the main road. The branches had branches, and those too had their own branches. They hung down like long ropes and subtly fluttered in the warm summer wind, casting soft shadows from the moonlight.

"How can any place be so quiet?"

Cats

"Oh that cat? He is just a village cat. He's been here for two-something years now. I found him by the main road and took him in. He was small and a bit stupid, but I released him half a year later and he's been good so far. Put on some size, the dark brown fur is nice and full, even the whiskers are quite long now."

One day he noticed another cat show up. It climbed up the tree to where the first one was sitting. They both looked awkward.

"Grandmaaaaa!"

Grandma leaned out of the kitchen window — "Yes baby?"

"That's a girl cat... right?"

"Yes baby, looks like it is."

Next day she showed up again, climbed up the tree and sat beside him. Her light brown fur matches his dark fur nicely. Both had blue eyes. They exchanged meows and ran in different directions.

Then he didn't show up for a week. It was just her, sitting on the same branch and waiting for hours.

He finally came back. She was already waiting for him. He climbed up to the branch, they exchanged meows and sat there for a while. When it got dark, they climbed down and went in the same direction.

Next day they came later than usual. Grandma looked out of the kitchen window. They were cuddled up on that same branch, licking each other once in a while and meowing softly.

Long flight

A dark worsted 3-piece suit. Black tie. Oxfords. A briefcase with a laptop and some documents for the flight. It is 6 in the morning and he already drank 3 Martinis. Such is the airport life.

He was away for 45 days. The trip was supposed to be 30.

The conference took away all of his strength. He didn't want to walk, he didn't want to read, he didn't even have it in him to watch a movie.

"Boarding for flight number..."

"Finally" — he said as he finished his 4th martini of the morning and went over to his gate. He always waits for this announcement. It's much easier to board last. No lines, no standing, no worries...

Everyone in the plane is on the phone, with a book or watching some movie.

He knows it's a long flight, but the idea of doing something just doesn't come to him.

"A human isn't supposed to be entertained. Especially like we get entertained now. We are supposed to be alone with ourselves if there is no company to serve us. Maybe a book is okay, but everything else... Boredom is nicer than exposing myself to that... that..." — he didn't have the word for it.

8 hours of flight went by smoothly. He ate, slept and for the last half an hour looked at the mountains surrounding the airport.

He reluctantly gave his passport to the border guard at the passport control booth, picked up his luggage and went outside.

"Oh the mountain air, how much I've missed you."

A moment later cigarette smoke filled his lungs. He just stood there quietly, taking it in...

Then he dropped it. Light blue flicker entered his eyesight. His heart dropped. He turned his head to look at how she was running towards him with child-like excitement. She jumped into his hands.

"Don't leave me for so long ever again, okay?"

"I won't, I promise... Want to grab a coffee?"