Departures and Arrivals

Hiram Menezes
Jul 21, 2017 · 5 min read

The sun was just shyly starting to rise amid the heavy clouds which filled the sky that day. The sunrays that morning brought light to all the lovely little aspects I so joyfully appreciated in Spring. The bushes from Lurven Central Station were as green as ever, and the tulips that rose in between them reflected yellow and red beams, as light touched the dew drops. A pair of scarlet Ibis were quietly brushed together at the edge of a small lake that laid beside the train tracks.

Always admired the passiveness, quietness, and caring of those birds. Today, at the age of 18, I have had my share of afternoons spent laid on the grass in the woods, near home, watching flocks of Ibis through my father´s war binoculars. There are not many of them left in the wild. Never understood how some people were capable of hunting them, such fragile, skinny beings; certainly it wasn´t for eating. Maybe they did it because it was fun. People sometimes are evil, and I would begin to understand that later.

“Daydreaming my love?” Ivan whispered just before kissing gently my neck. A chill came down through my head and my shoulders shrugged softly.

“Do not scare me like that. You silly.” I shouted while turning back and slapping his chest. He knew how those kisses gave me the chills.

“I find it amusing how you can quickly disconnect from the real world. I wonder if someday you will get lost in one of those reveries and I will have to come rescue you Elise.” Ivan said with a smile, concealing a laughter.

“I don´t really see any reason for all these joking. I just got a little bit distracted. That´s all.” I spoke and sighed heavily. I obviously lied. He knew me too well of course.

Ivan lived all his twenty years at the yellowish bricked house in the corner of Rue de la Grotte and Place Marcadal, one block away from my father´s trinket shop. Almost every day I walked from the town´s school to my father´s working place just to give Papa a kiss. Every noon just by the end of Rue de la Grotte, across Madam Nina flower shop, there was Ivan. A shaved head and two naive eyes barely noticeable at the aged wood window of the yellowish house. Four months: the time Ivan took to gather the courage to invite me to go by the forest watch the birds. We grew only closer and closer then. He became a friend, a brother, and later the only man I would truly love.

In 1935 Ivan´s father, his only family, passed away. The yellowish house sold, Ivan came to live with my family in our cottage at the city´s borders. At fifteen I felt his pain, his anger, even his rebelliousness, and we conquered it together. From the struggle we built a bond that seemed that would forever unite us. We lived all adolescence´s discoveries, doubts and passions together, which only comforted our minds as for the everlastingness of our love.

“You shouldn´t be so grumpy today. After all, it is a big day for us all. Today we begin to make a difference, to stand for the weak.” He said so convincingly. He was always so naturally courageous, so fierce, and for that I admired him even more.

“And who is going to stand for you? Who is going to be there for me?” I yelled.

He stood silent, his eyes gazing my hands as he caressed them softly.

“I know we have discussed these matters many times. I don´t want you to get mad at me. I just worry, that´s all.” I added while holding tears.

“Elise, my love, I hope you would have understood by now that I do this for us. My heart is torn in pieces to leave you alone for God knows how long….But I go, and bear the Present of being away from you so I can rejoice the Ever by your side.”

“How can any love be at peace in times of War? If I stay we could be sacrificing all we have imagined for us, all we have dreamed that our passion would turn into: the kids throwing rocks at the sea as our Papa watches them between naps; our house at the rocky beaches of De Panne, where you could paint the birds flying freely… I remember well how you kept talking about that trip and that place for weeks… Such a charming village indeed… I can easily picture us growing older there. “ he sighed both with hope and vexation.

“Papa is really proud of you…you know…You were always alike… Both brave heroes… my heroes…” the words I could articulate among sobs.

“I will fight for our future my love, and I will come back to live it with you.”

The train´s whistle, like a stifled scream, disrupted the quietness. I did not realize until now the hundreds of husbands, fathers and sons in those tidy light grey uniforms aligned by the platform. How many stories were being put on hold by greed, by man´s desire for power, or other stupid reason man comes up with just to hurt others. The thought of Ivan injured in someplace faraway just burst into my mind. I hugged him tightly as if I could somehow protect him, or just ease my thoughts.

“That is the last call my love. I better get into my wagon.” he said while letting his fingers run along my hair.

“ They say a carrier monthly collects the letters at the frontier and brings them to the soldier´s families. I promise to write you.”

“I love you”

“I love you too”

As the train´s doors closed, the black smoke came out of the metal chimney and stained the colors of that spring morning. A swarm of hands was raised towards the locomotive´s windows. Mostly women and children trying to reach for a last touch of their loved ones. I left Ivan´s hand and he waived me goodbye.

“And did Dad forget to write to us Mommy?”

“Of course not honey. He was just too busy fighting the bad guys. But he left me a little poem just before he went away. The most beautiful of all”

“Wow Mommy!! Where is it? Can you read it for me? Please!! Pretty Please!!” Nina entreated me while pulling my sleeves.

“ The poem is you my baby Nina. Daddy wrote kindness with your smiles, love with your sweet eyes, and innocence through those cushy cheeks.” I said with my hands in the air ready to squeeze that cute little being.

“That´s not funny mommy.” Nina said frowning.

“Go play with your Grandpapa. He is already by the beach waiting for you. He told me he brought you a gift from town.” I could barely finish the words as Nina burst through the door running across the sand.

As I turned back to my painting easel a breeze blew and drew my attention to the window. A couple of Ibis cuddling, resting by our garden. They started appearing more frequently in the last couple years.

A smile rose naturally.

“Thank you for everything my love” I whispered in peace.

)

Hiram Menezes
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