A Second Chance, Chapter III

Chapter III

After finishing cooking, he gave me my share and sat down. Then he started telling me about the granny and the place we were at. In his words he said "You see this place is not real. I know what you are thinking, but bare with me and don't talk for a bit. That old woman was a priestess or a goddess, but no one really knows. I got scared when I saw her staring at you, because she can do many things. Things that, we, normal folk can't understand. You see I grew up here when I was a little boy, my grandma used to bring me here in secret from my parents and let me play. We used to go to this place and I would play with random people. They were kind and all of them were pretty . I still don't know if, all of it, is in my imagination or not. I remember this woman with yellow hair she had". At that moment a chill run down my spine and I froze, my breath stopped. He asked me if something was wrong. I brushed it off by saying  "Nah I am ok, something got stuck in my throat". I lied because he looked nervous. Then he continued "Then I found out. My grandma told me before she died, never to leave this place and to always come back for even one day and bring someone. You see she said that this was the place of the gods and these were their gardens". That explains why the place felt like it was stuck back in time.

He also told me that his family were a family of priests and that is why the gods allowed them to visit and see that place. They had to go and pray though, at least once every year. In the beginning, I was excited because I had found something a few people had. But then it was another normal thing for me. Anyway, once he finished his story, I asked him about that woman with the yellow hair. He said to me that he never said anything about a woman that had yellow hair. I became more specific and even said his words right up to his face.

But he joked and said that I was still asleep and heard things. I believed him in the beginning. Once he finished his story and ate my food, I remembered her and found an excuse to leave. That feeling that I will never forget. I didn’t know what it was but I remember it clearly. It was like my body was in pain burning from inside and I had that big gap inside me. It was unbearable. I got up, left and started going to that little spot down to the many stairs I had seen, when I first entered the small village.

Things though did not go as planned. I left the house and started going there thinking about it. I wondered so many things. My first thought was. " How can I go there". You see, I wanted to escape my life. An excuse to run away from everything , problems , job , family and the list goes on. Then she came back to my mind like she always does. I keep remembering her standing in front of me with a beautiful dress and her long hair in the side as a very small part of her cheek is showing. 

I am hopeless, I said to myself. I always wanted something strange to happen something like that and for the first time in my life, I thought that was a chance for me to be a main character in a story. Then, as I thought about my life and the luck I am known to have, I realised that it is a stupid fantasy the one I  have. 

"How stupid I am for thinking I can be with someone that is not even real. Gods, men, this place , I am tired and I don't care about anyone or anything. I just want to find peace" .

Then anxiety and sadness came and rushed through my entire body. I stopped and took a moment to light up my smoke. As I was reaching the end of the stairs, I came to this little dock. I was smoking and looking at the things around me in silence. There was no one there, except me and nature. That blissfull moment lasted only for a little bit

"I am like an old man". I looked up and I was starting to leave as I noticed a little opening on the side as the lake was ending to the right. I looked closer and I saw a bench and what I thought as a little garden. There was no possible way for me to go from the place I was there, so I went up the stairs again.

Reaching the top of the stairs, I turned left and headed at an alley, trying to find that place. I went straight, until I found another little entrance, like the one I saw when I entered the village. It was not far from where our house was. There were only the stairs going down in to what seemed a small little section. I didn’t even care where the other paths led and I took the one that headed downwards. It was like I knew how to get there. 

I didn’t even think I was lost. After walking for some time I saw it. It was a shrine and there was a little garden as well. I walked towards it. I tried to see to whom the shrine was dedicated to, but it was too old and not preserved. So I didn’t know whose the shrine was.

I opened the door and went inside. I expected it to be dirty and destroyed but in reality it was clean and tidy, not how you would expect it to be. In front of me on the left, I saw a little offering box, on the right there were some paintings. 

I immediately noticed the little garden I was seeing and went towards it. I didn’t see anyone there so no one would noticed. I went and looked at how beautiful it was. I saw a bench on my left and I went and sat down. It was made with stone and you could tell it was really old.

I was just sitting there looking at the garden and the flowers. The little fountain on the middle and this wall of flora in front of me. I started reminising again. Before I noticed, I spent a lot of time there. The sun was going down and I thought I had to leave, otherwise I could get lost. I am not that familiar with that place.




Author: Jimmy Novak