I walked through the hall while I was thinking about it. Suddenly, I noticed something. Under the door of the living room, light came out. How strange that I had left it on! I remember that before going to bed I had turned it off. Yes, I´m sure, I did it when I came back to clean the street door as I did every night. It couldn´t be. You have to see what strange things were happening to me tonight! Well, I would go to turn it off and then I would go to the kitchen to do what I was going to do.
I opened the door. Incredible! I was stuck there where I was with the doorknow in my hand. What was happening?
For a moment, I thought that I was still asleep and that all this would be a dream. That was more credible than seeing what was happening. The intense light did not come from the living room, it was not the lamp, nor anything from inside. It entered through the window. But, how?
Outside there was only the garden and there was not any light bulb, or anything like that, that could give light and also there was not any lamp that gave light in such an intense way as the one I was looking at right now coming in there.
After I don´t know how much time, it would surely be a few moments but they were eternal, in which I was motionless trying to give myself a logical explanation about what could be happening. I carefully released the doorknob and I dared, still undecided, to take some steps and go to the window to be able to see what was happening.
I reached out my trembling hand. I had the intention of drawing the curtains and look at what was happening outside. I could not understand why it trembled in that way but the truth is that it was so. What was that fear that I had in my body coming from? I was inside my house, with everything closed. What could happen to me? Nothing for sure but even though I thought that, I also said to myself “If the garden is a closed place and nobody could put anything there without me noticing it, so where does that light come from? And what will they be doing it with in order to have so much intensity?”
I don´t ever remember having seen anything like it. It is as if the headlights of a car were focused on the window. What a stupid thing I´m saying! How could someone have entered a car in my garden? And why? Which would the objective be?
I finished arriving next to the window. I had crossed the room so carefully that I didn´t know how long I took, but I didn´t dare to separate the curtain so that I could see well what was happening outside. Suddenly, I heard a noise and I remained nailed to the ground. It seemed that I had heard him behind my back. That was not possible. In the house, there was nobody else but me. What would it have been then what I had heard?
Perhaps it would be a joke of my imagination, product of the fear that I had in those moments. Maybe, what was happening to me was the result of bad digestion. What had I had for dinner? I had to remember, yes. Because all this could not be real. Of course it was that, only a reaction of something that I had eaten and that had made me feel sick.
<<<<<>>>>>
It´s been a long time since I came to this house to live. I needed to be alone. Since I finished my studies, I spent my time travelling to know the world. As I said to my family, and even though they didn´t understand, that day when I told them when we finished having dinner, they answered me:
— Well, your life is yours, live it as you wish, but don’t get in trouble.
— Relax! I just want to see something, before I settle down — I replied.
— Something of what? — they asked me. Don’t you have enough going on holidays from time to time?
— No, that’s little time, I have to travel, it’s like a necessity, I want to know other cultures — I told them.
I was determined not to be convinced, it was an idea that had been going through my head and after I thought about it a lot, it was finally time to say it to my family.
— But for what? — they said, surprised —. What do you want to know specifically?
— I don’t know yet, I just know that I need that, to have time for myself — And it was so much firmness that I had to put into words that they didn’t insist anymore.
— Son — added my mother —. I know that you are prudent, but remember that there are dangerous countries, do not be confident and always be attentive.
— Don’t worry! I’ll do it, rest easy that I won’t get into anything, I only go on my own, you know I don’t drink.
— Son, be careful with drugs — my mother said worriedly.
— Mum! Trust me! You know those things don’t work with me.
— Yes, that’s now, who knows who you are going to hang out with, and you know… then, to be fair, they do stupid things.
— Mom, don’t worry! Trust me, you’ve taught me well, and I’m not going to disappoint you.
My two brothers who had remained silent looked at me and both said:
— Remember that we are here.
— Sure! How can I forget? Surely when you finish your studies you will also decide something like that.
— It’s great to travel like this because you learn more than you do in books — my father said when he heard me.
But my mother who did not agree protested a little hurt:
— But abroad? Isn’t Spain big enough?” — he said as few tears escaped from her eyes.
— Mum! — I said —. Don’t worry, you’ll see how nothing happens to me, and before you know I’m gone I’m already back — and I kissed her to reassure her.
After several years of going from one place to another, I returned, yes, that had also always been very clear to me, where I wanted to live, it was next to my people, well, next door, but not mixed.
When I came back, and I said that I would live in this place, they really were not very happy, but they had no choice but to hold on, because it was a decision that I had adopted, as usual after meditating on it, because I never liked taking a decision without giving much thought to the pros and cons.
The house was decorated according to what I like, with nothing left over, those gossip that are usually stored as memories and that only serve to accumulate layers of dust, I only had the necessary things, but those that made me feel good.
Few have visited me, I have always been a loner, that is the truth, I prefer an afternoon out, watching how the sun is gradually hiding, while the wind is hitting my face, than spending time, “losing it” as I say, with friends, I do have them, although I recognize that they are few, but they know that when they need me, I am there for them, as well as for the family, but if not, we can spend some time without seeing each other, that’s the truth.
How many afternoons I have gone out for a walk and it has become dark and sitting on the ground, on the grass, I have fallen back, to contemplate those stars, those luminous dots in the sky, is there anything else… magical, wonderful?, I don’t think there is a word that can describe it in its fair beauty.
Yes, they are right when they call me loner, but I do not think that anything can compare to that feeling, it is as if something expands inside me and makes me fly to those stars, as if the Earth let me escape and then at I am back again, as if drawn to reality.
Well, I do not know, because on more than one occasion, I have found myself there, when the dawn sun hit me in the face, I had spent the whole night, yes, that is the truth, and where better to stay than in nature?
<<<<<>>>>>
The road was lonely, I had been informed that I had to be careful, but determined to get there, I went inside. I’ve never been scared, but I still remember how had gotten goosebumps on my skin, as they say.
When I heard that, I stood still