Pilgrimage

A green blur covered the fuzzy view only to be gone a mere second after, revealing a breathtaking landscape drenched in the morning's sunlight. Blinking lazily and rubbing my eyes as to clear my sleepy view, I forced myself upright and into full conciousness as I continued to gaze in between blinks and teary eyes at the wondrous blue mountains in the far horizon. though the train I was in was almost six kilometres away from them, their white peaks could still be distinguished glinting the faint sunlight of dawn.

Being now fully awake from the previous night's sleep, I could appreciate all the better the view, which seen through the window frames of my wagon seemed to be a masterpiece worthy of one of the great masters of Renaissance. An orange hue, which diminished gradually yet steadily drenched the grass which was barely covered by a gentle mist, remnants of the fallen dew. A lake in the centre of the landscape, probably a good half a kilometre away, glinted gold as it bathed in
the much needed warmth of the winter's sun.

A green blur covered the view as bushes and undergrowth, all too near to the train tracks, sped by again.

"Good morning," said the soft and delicate voice of my wife, "how did you sleep?"

"Good morning, and good," was my reply, which came in the manner of a hoarse whisper as all morning's first spoken words tend to do. "Any idea of where we are?"

"Not really," came the gentle reply as she poured and handed me a cup of hot tea from our thermus "But we ought to be close. Arrival time was estimated to be seven thirty and that's five minutes from now."

I simply nodded as I sipped the steamy tea. Just holding the cup with both hands sent a comfortable warmth through both my arms and into my chest. It was January, which meant summer back home, yet not here. Not that it was ever important since it was said that even summer tended to be cold here up north.

"I had a funny dream," I began as I held the cup with one hand and reached for the cookie my wife offered me with the other.

"Is that so?"

"yes. I dreamt about him again, yet not in the same manner as I normally do. This time he presented himself much calmer and with a much sober attitude towards life. He didn't accuse for a change, on the contrary, he simply stood there, nodding as he looked at me."

"Well, that's good right?" She asked rather hopefully.

"I can't tell, but let's hope so." Was the sullen response she got, and then we both drifted into silence and thought once more.

It wasn't easy, not by the least, but this pilgrimage was something we had both accepted; a promise which should be kept no matter the cost.

The sudden change in speed and faint hints of human presence in the landscape told us that we had arrived at last.

"We're here." I said as I got on my feet and began collecting our bags.

"Yes, and let's hurry this time," she answered back with a hint of dread lingering on the edge of her voice,"cemeteries are among my least enjoyable places."