1. They found each other – in between the road dust and swirls of their personal troubles, inspirations and everyday chores – they found each other. And this was great. They rented an apartment, they were not too busy at work, they had time, they had love and they had a simple and clear feeling that the world rotates in the right direction. They rented the apartment with two rooms, and threw their belongings into the smaller room, and settled in the other room. They wanted to make something untraditional in a small room – no furniture, soft fluffy carpet, green, airy and light, only at first they had to clean up the rubbish.
One month passed. The room was not yet cleaned – either this, or that – well, you know it yourself – good order and cleanliness – it is when everything is clean and in order, but if you do not achieve it completely – then if you made the effort but still there is no order – that’s a shame – and they have been waiting for a moment when they are strong enough to be able to take a deep breath and win in one foul stroke.
Another month passed. Now the room has became a peculiar center point they often giggled about it, they liked talking ironically about themselves, and they went on making plans of how great it is going to be when at last they make the perfect order there. They created this kind of chamber – family – folklore, and the room was a keystone, which was both funny and promising. The Day came at last – they got up in the morning and energetically started cleaning. Gosh, so much rubbish was taken out, endless books and heaps of dust… The evening found them in the kitchen –as it is accepted to say – tired, but happy… He hugged her – she laughed. They passed by the room, but couldn’t help it, they wanted to have a look in it again. The room was radiant. Soft, fluffy carpet was on the floor. A luxurious palm was in the corner. Cozy lampshades, comfy armchair – when you come in, you feel such a nonintrusive soft comfort – of the body and the soul – nothing to catch your eye – lots of space in the room – space in their heads. They were standing barefooted in the middle of the room hugging, and at that moment they became aware – they did not have anything else in common – this idea, as it turned out, was the only bridge between them – and now this bridge collapsed, suddenly there was nothing to substitute it. They stayed there for about twenty minutes longer, there was nothing to say – looked like even conversations lost any meaning. Next day they parted forever.
2. That was a great practical joke. You sure must know of it – you approach a girl, and tell her: – “I love you…”, and after a pause – it depends on who and how long you can make pause – so that your mates do not break into laughter, but the girl still had enough time to get confused and blush, you add: “to be chased with a broom”. Everybody knew this joke, but nevertheless every time it was no less funny. When a new girl came into their class, he knew exactly, that he will play the same joke on her.
She put her books into her school bag, and, centered on her thoughts, went to the door. He blocked her way. She barged his shoulder, and awkwardly leaned on the desk in surprise that he was so unyielding. He was staring straight at her. Everybody around seemed to understand the comedy about to happen, and anticipating roaring laughter, he said firmly: “I love you…” Then he paused. He knew – the longer the pause, the worse the strike is. With his peripheral vision he could see that all were ready to burst into laughter, thus removing the tension from the lesson. But she did not blush and the pause was getting excessively long. She was just standing there and looking somewhere deeply – somewhere deeply in him…
They were walking on the street – it was bright and sunny – the puddles were evaporating.
3. He came into the town in the morning. Somebody will see a symbol in it and somebody will not. As for me, I prefer to see everything uncomplicated – well, he came in and there is nothing else in it. The sun was already up and the pavement of the narrow streets was already warm. This heat was not yet warming, it was more promising to warm. And this promise was pleasant for him. I understand him – a promise is always fresher and more piercing than any determination – only if this determination does not contain the emptiness as the foundation that can absorb everything at any moment. Of course there were people on his way – where would you see a town without people – but their faces were as if veiled with a haze, it made their facial features vague or covered their faces completely. Maybe it was just vapour pierced with sun rays that created such a weird impression. He was walking aimlessly – he was just born and had no goal.
Sometimes either a house frontage or some fragments of indistinct conversations brought something more than just an impression – perhaps it could be called a recollection, but of course it was not a recollection, as he was just born and had simply nothing to remember. When the sea had washed him ashore, when the trees had bent and he descended from their branches to the ground, the grass parted and gave way to him, and this way was clear and all was so simple. When the grass finished, then dust showed him the way, and this way was also clear. There were no thoughts in his heart – and the thoughts in his head he did not like – he did not like them so much that they could feel it from afar and tried to avoid him. Different creatures were sticking out their weird heads from out of the depths – but they were trying to dive deeper when his attention cast a brief glance at them. When he was passing a yellow house with white window sills, inverted inside out, a fish by name of Solitude jumped out, looked around, the sky was clear. He had neither a fishing rod with hooks, nor a wish to fish – and the fish left, waving its tail timely with his steps, and it was all so good, that the road even curved from pleasure, so he had to make a small detour around a hole in the pavement.
There was a hole in his chest. Well, of course we all know that there are no holes there, one can even try and touch to check if the one went nuts and does not know if there is a hole or not – but he had a hole – and wind was blowing, a violet and drawling wind, that twisted out from behind and fluffed his hair, and his hair ridged funnily on the back of his head.
A girl was sitting on the window sill on the first floor, dangling her legs. Her father and mother told her, of course, that she should not sit there, but she did not care about her father and mother, and even if they died at one certain moment – well, she would cry of course, a little bit though, like in kindy, when somebody broke a dry bush, she was used to sitting under and gaze around. She was sitting here for the second hour already – the sun warmed her feet, it gave her a soft tickling that crawled up under her skirt and mildly spread to her armpits. Is this the way to say – “to the armpits”? Or is it to be said some other way? Well, whatever, it was sweet and warm in her armpits.
When he came up to the poplar alley, the poplars threw a handful of fluff into his face. That was good fun for him, but he did not show it and let the poplars think that he did not care and that he was thinking about something personal, and that for him this handful of fluff – well, nothing much to notice… he came to this nearest street just because his feet brought him there. His glance found the girls feet. They were so yummy with those delicate toes playing their unknown game, finest of fluff on the shins and calves, possible to see if only you approach as close as to catch a scent of the skin. He came up, stopped and raised his head. Pink little bunnies were dancing under her skirt and didn’t let him concentrate. Then he looked up higher and saw her eyes. And the heavens opened and thunder snapped out.
***
– Do I know you?
– Do I know you?
– I know you.
– I know you.
– There was a fog, there was lilac, there was black earth, my glance was transparent, my voice betrayed me, a lump came into my throat, the chest cried out, a whirlwind twisted, I woke up and I banged my head. I wanted to sleep again, I was ready to give away everything and anything just for one more minute of my dream – I was waiting for so long, I was dreaming for so long, and what –is it all given to me in just a single moment of a dream? A dream, as clear as a tear – tears, as useless as a dream…
– I did not know about you, I did not see you, I did not see your reflection in a drop of water, I did not hear your voice in the roaring wind, I was dreaming… The rough tree bark, swift streamwater, bottomless skies – this is how I was searching for you. I was sitting dangling my feet, the sun was shining in my eyes, a sunray flashed and blinded me and I lowered my eyes. And I found you.
– What can we say to each other?
– We do not need to talk.
– What can we do for each other?
– All has already been done.
– So good.
– So good. Is it indeed so early and so easy I will live my life? Is it indeed so easy?
– It could be only easy.
– What’s now?
– Nothing. Just nothing. It happens that nothing is forthcoming. It can be only deeper and otherwise. Now – otherwise.
– I am scared, I am happy, firm and full.
– I am hot, I am cold, I am quiet.
– Will they let us go?
– They cannot do anything. They are sleeping. Look into their eyes.
– They cannot do anything… they are sleeping… so good… so good… yes, it happens, happens, happens! May I repeat this thousand times more – “It happens!”
***
When it started raining, some rainwater poured into the open window and the carpet became damp – it has to be dried – or the floor can rott – it can be dried with a vacuum cleaner or at least with a hair dryer!
4. Crouching, he leaped out from behind a rubbish bin – he definitely was not expected – everybody ran away in all directions. Except one of them, due to fright of this surprise, ran straight into him. He pulled the trigger. “Tra-ta-ta-ta-ta” – a wooden gun poked into the boy’s belly, the boy’s eyes expressed absolute panic, and in spite of being killed – he ran on further. “Tra-ta-ta-ta-ta” – followed the boy – “enough of living, die!” The boy slowed down. “Enough of living!”
A crow singing in the bushes was ear-piercing.
5. It was gently raining, and from time to time got heavier or lighter, suddenly the drops became heavy and frequent – and the world around the bus stop came to life – people hurried to the nearest shelter. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that two elderly women say good-bye to each other – as usual – their lips apparently have already grinded hulls of words for a few minutes, their faces reminded of amiable bricks. The one that was waiting for the bus, fussily took her bags and off she went. The face of the other suddenly twisted with a grimace and her yell followed the first one: “there won’t be a bus any more”. The air filled with anxiety, creating a whirl and the two women impulsively rotated in it, and there was a quiet crowd around. “There won’t be a bus any more” – she carried on yelling persistently and pointlessly. The running woman turned back – she was smiling, and that smile revealed how scared and ashamed she was – scared, because she got terribly frightened. Ashamed, because she understood the absurdity of the situation, but she couldn’t change it. “There won’t be a bus any more” – once again she yelled, turned round and left. All the people were sucked into the bus. The whirl disappeared. When I was coming to my house, towards me there came out an old woman with a dog – strange… It is said that she walks with a scythe… She doesn’t need to walk here – I understand everything without it. How impolite! By the way, I was carrying delicious doughnuts in my bag!