Short Story I wrote. Let’s call it… The Day I saw Spring Arise
Brunello is a simple man. He lives in a small, simple village in the North of Italy, not much to do, but encompassed by the wonderous Italian mountains which entertain this small man everyday as he drinks his coffee in the morning, and lives accordingly to his simple rituals and routines. Brunello wakes up in the morning, and unequivocally makes a pungent cup of coffee, as taught by his late grand-mother, or Nona as they say in Italy. He then emerges from his home, takes a seat on his balcony, and installs himself at the little table infront of his humble abode to drink his coffee and read the newspaper for the day, all the while enjoying the tranquil ambience of the little village. He observes the mountains, and the awakening nature, all the noises, the movements, the rhythms, the music, he believes that he is quite in love with all, and would not exchange it for the world. But this is all he knows, he has not explored beyond the boundaries of this microcosm, until one fateful day. Brunello enjoys taking walks across the village to the nearby forest, and picking up various herbs and fungi for his cuisine, he has become quite recognizant over the years of the different types of natural plantations surrounding his village, and thus notices them quite aptly. He loves to cook and prepare homemade, love-filled meals for some of his neighbors. He likes to invite them over for coffee and delicacies once in a while, but mostly spends his time alone. He is somewhat of a profound person, he does have a depth to his gaze, and through his years living in this peaceful village, he can sense the silence of nature, but there is something of a longing for more within him, in his soul’s journey that he has yet to realize. He is tranquil, rarely preoccupied in his mind, not much drama has occurred in his life, although he has lived for 43 years already, he was born in this town and intends to live out the rest of his life until he dies in it. “There is nothing better than this peaceful life”, he tells himself, breathing in the fresh air of the forest. He has developed a very keen eye over the years, observing the cycles of nature, so he is quick to notice an approaching person to his side as he is walking through the forest. The person is abnormally dressed, and walks with a tiredness. The person engages in conversation with Brunello, and Brunello is surprised that he cannot recognize this woman, a fair lady, with a depth to her voice, almost hurt, brown hair, short light brown hair, and gentle frame, that seems a bit too worn down for her age. She converses with Brunello delicately, with no sense of urgency, and Brunello enjoys this sort of serenity that emanates from her, like she has been through many life times of sadness and is now seeking to make peace with herself. She explains that she is on a journey of sorts, she has traveled from Asia, and has reached here by many ways. She does not know how long she has been travelling for, the concept of time is no longer relevant for her, she is in tune with nature, goes to bed with the rising moon, and wakes up with the rising sun. There is a spirituality to her Brunello feels, and he also feels an unexpectable pull to her, why? He does not know, but her perfume of serenity which has been deepened by her years of travel intrigues Brunello, who firmly and almost innocently believes that peace comes from staying within familiar lands. She speaks calmly, almost quietly, but with a lovely accent, she’s learned the language because she has been travelling here for quite some time she says. Brunello is enamored, curiously attracted to her as she speaks, and she has a similar feeling but has learned not to be overly attached to her romantic interests as she travels through this world of impermanence, thus restrains from fully liking the little, yet well-built Italian gentleman. Brunello, on the other hand is fixatedly attached to his peaceful, village life, and cannot see himself going beyond, but something about this wandering, but not lost soul has struck his heart strings in an enchanting way, almost as if he is being called to adventure. The damsel feels it as well, this wordless sensation that they’ve met for a reason, that this place and time, where all anxieties have been lifted, all seems to be perfect, like the angels are watching, and serenading the air with an ambience of purity, of blossoming and flowering scents which radiates in the colors of the forest. This lady, whom exudes an air of monasticism, yet admirable courage is compelled to invite this stranger on her adventure, she asks with a look of curiosity, almost as if she herself did not see it coming, if he would like to join her. What an unforeseen change of events this is for the simple life of Brunello, a sudden spring towards the unknown, he will finally venture beyond the encasement of his familiar cozy village, he is finally realizing this call for adventure with this beautiful spirit. Mai, is her name, and it just so happens to be the month of May, and Brunello loves the months of May, for a particular type of flower blooms at this time of the year. She reminds him of the flower, and her aroma pulls him towards her, and before they know it, they are off together, on an adventure to the unknown. Sometimes, life is like a song, the notes are composed, they are assembled, they are designed with precision, and wonderful artistry, it is art, and the individual life of a human being seems arbitrary and unrelated to other parts, but a sort of destiny and going back home connects all of the musical notes. Such is the adventure of Brunello and Mai, whom have this oddly familiar feeling around one another, as if a spell has been cast which binds them together, seeing the sparkle of life in one another’s eyes they commence their journey.
