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A New Morning for an Old Community
Old and New Perceptions of an Old Event
(Romanian)
No matter how much he hurried, the “Great Path” took more time than he expected…
And the thoughts harassed him incessantly… The Sentinel’s coldness had stimulated his imagination… He was not like that… Every time he sat for talks with him, whenever they met…
Now, it was as if he had dispatched him quickly… What was the time for a hug and a short talk, over the hot tea he had prepared absolutely every time? Encouraging him to come back with love on the way back…
Forebodings clouded his thoughts… Perceptions, old memories, related to the weekly community meetings, the distribution of collections… Of many ordinary events, far too old to stir them…
Against new perceptions, lived or imagined, that tried to correlate, to identify the imbalance into which the presentiments had thrown him…
And the passage of time… It wasn’t just the thoughts… It was the bridges hidden among the trees… It was the efforts to erase the traces that could indicate the route followed…
The fir tree trunk that showed the area was clear had its top bent, apparently under the weight of the snow… So…
He reached the tree trunk assigned to him, unloaded the backpack with everything he had brought, taking care to form the piles for each of those who had ordered from his products, and raised the hatch for the packages, taking care not to disturb the camouflage snow…
The packages meant for him were left grouped together, from each member he had called, with messages from each of them… They had already all gone through…
Before I read them, I release the signaling branches to announce that I am here, that I am making the delivery… And release the rope that raised the branches of the spruce that announced to those around that he had arrived.
The Little Stationer had left him the requested notebooks and books… Oh, the Stationer… His father had “gone” a little while ago, and his mind was not used to it…
His message?
“If you stay until sunset, you can see me! The community gave us a surprise”…
Strange… The strange premonitions were still with him… Let me now see the rest of the packages and their messages!
Electron had repaired her motherboard, the Librarian had loaded the books, manuals, and messages distributed by the Postman onto the USB stick, the Tanner had solved it with the Shoemaker and Hope’s boots looked perfect, the Shepherd had left the milk jug, and the cheese bellows… Each with what he had promised…
Their messages were like those of the Little Stationer… Everyone was enjoying the surprise of the community prepared by the Union.
It was not yet the last day of the month, the community surplus was not distributed to each of us…
From somewhere, the creaking of the snow warned him that a person was approaching. The rapid succession of steps reassures him, certainly being a person who perfectly knew the routes of travel to him.
And he was right… In a fleeting time, Consolation appeared, the Shepherd’s wife.
– Stoutly, did Hope send you the curds for cheese and yogurt?
– Normal, Consolation, it was the first package she handed me, from the first hour. She knows it must be as fresh as possible. You also have the container with the kefir mushroom cultures here.
– Wonderful, consolation exclaims excitedly, until “Participation Day” I have time to prepare the kefir for the community as well! Is Hope, okay?
– I think so. You know she never tells the truth about her suffering…
– I talked with my husband and, next Sunday, after the “Participation Day”, I will come to spend the night with you, with Hope. Shepherd will return home, but I will come to you.
– I know I know. Whenever he remembers, she counts the days until then, she often tells me about you. Especially since your treatment seems to be working for her as well.
– It’s not my treatment. I would have taken a different approach. I only assist the Doctor, he decides. I just bring the treatments and teach the patient what to do.
– Yes, yes, as if you didn’t leave your husband and children alone for a week to treat Hope…
– Hey, I don’t have time! I don’t want to be exposed to the dark, I have a long way home. If I can’t participate in the community surprise, you realize… I would have wanted this, I would have liked it, but the Shepherd needs today’s collection… Did you forget that I now have the kefir cultures? And Consolation took the packages and was already sneaking along the path between the fir trees…
-Hey, hey, Consolation, what surprise is it about?
Consolation stopped, she turned an angry face towards him, but smiled and said:
– A group of singers is coming from the north. Party, she said wryly. The collection for them is already paid for by the community. If you want to enjoy yourself, you can. I don’t have time and anyway we will see the video of the event. Greetings to Hope!
And she quickly moved away…
Yes, that’s right, the Librarian always did his job. He will share the clips of what happened there. I don’t have time either…
He struggled for a while to load everything he had received from the collection into his luggage, released the signaling branches that announced to those around him that he was no longer there but had delivered the collection, and quickly left for the Sentinel’s post.
On his way out, he spotted Electron sneaking down the path to pick up his collection…
He’s still fat, finds Stoutly looking at him for a few moments… I think he can’t wait for the food… Or the hemp cakes? Well, we did our job! To each his own needs, if they are accepted for exchange by the Union of the community…
Soon he left the Valley and went up to the Sentinel’s post… The rucksack, much heavier compared to the one he had come with, quickly exhausted him… Taking too many breaks to catch his breath…
Do I still have time to get home? Good thing I left quickly and didn’t meet each of them…
Anyway, the road to Santinela is the steepest. Let me shoot now as long as I can, and I will rest with the Sentinel. He will tell me how long I can stay, to arrive on time…
A thought was not giving him peace…
Why is the Community event being held so late? I barely have time to get home before nightfall… Won’t it be the same for the others who came to the meeting?
And the thoughts multiplied, from one “breathing” break to another…
When he arrived at the Crossroads of Shadows, the Valley resounded with the chords of the music of the singers accepted by the Union… Celebration offered to the community on “Day of Flowers” which marked the beginning of “Calvary Week”.
He quickly took out his binoculars, put on his headphones, and looked to identify the rendezvous pad. Identify the area, place, group…
The directional focus of the binoculars worked for a while, annoyingly long, but soon the music in the headphones flooded his hearing, ecstatic instantly… And what he was looking at completed the scene…
It was a group of… Asians… Northmen from outside the Belt…
“Until sunset” … He remembered the Little Stationer’s message… Is it that late?
Merticaru Dorin Nicolae
Thanks to the author for reading (and feedback, if applicable)!