by Ante » Sun 11 Feb 2007 20:53
I was searching for Syberia files from my old hard drive and found this writing I wrote some time ago but never published due the lack of quality. However I thought to share it with you. My vocabulary is rather limited and I have still a lots of troubles forming a meaningful sentences and generally create the flow in the story, but well, that's enough. Read and enjoy:
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Kate Walker returns
"It was time to return to Valedilene. I knew I had to return. There was something magical in the place, like something was drawing me back there. I took Mr Charow with me to Aralbad. Something had changed inside me, after seeing him living in such dump for years I wanted to give him a second change. I came to agreement that he could be living there for an entire year at Hoter Kronski and all costs were paid by Soviet Union. On our way back there I bought him a typewriter in order to write down his memories. I didn’t expect a thing but it seemed reasonable because he had a lot to talk about. Now that everything behind the iron curtain was hot and selling well I promiced him to negotiate a deal for publishing his book and we’d share 50/50 the profits. Suddenly I’ve became a publisher – neat!
I stayed a couple of weeks at Aralbad, breathing the frozen wind, drinking probably too many Blue Helena’s, and socialized with those old Russian high ranked military officers, head of the communist party i.e. the chosen one’s. Boy, we got wasted and I heard such stories that even the most skilled writers with tricolor imagination wouldn’t come up with. I listened the wonderful stories of madame Romanski – she was old but her mind was a sharp like a razor blade and she seemed to enjoy again the indivisible attention of mine. I had my MD-recorder at hand and during the days I wrote down our conversations. I didn’t realize until the day of departure but I had brought back new life into this sleeping old hotel. All the personnel and visitors were waving their hands for farewell. I had very mixed feelings. I was in tears of joy. ”Goodbye everyone, I will remember all of you”. Mr. Smetana gave me a farewell present and addressed that I shoulnd’t open it until I’ve left the resort. ”Gosh – another mystery packet” but I felt really warm inside. That sweet old man.
The next stop would be Barrockstad and Mr Pons. I didn’t mind meeting the headmasters again so I slipped quietly inside the main building and knocked at the door of Mr. Pons. We both delighted of the reunion. I gave him, one by one my findings and I could just feel how the old professor was trembling with excitement. While hanging around the campus I remembered to return the books I borrowed earlier.
Finally at the day of my departure I had a walk with Cornelius. He was still overjoyed of the artifacts that I’ve brought to him to examine. We were chatting, and suddenly he took my hands into his own and said in such tranquility in his voice: ”Kate, I will follow your footsteps, I will go there! It may be the last trip of my life, and who knows if I will ever survive. You Kate Walker, have brought new life into me.”
I knew right away who should accompany Mr. Pons. I decided to stay for a while and headed towards the wall. I didn’t know what to say at the moment but I trusted my feminine skills whatever they might be.
It wasn’t easy – see, the Colonel was a man with a mission and besides his eyesight wasn’t good. But for the first he was a soldier, a very determined soldier and for the second, I was convinced that he just needed a mission, an orders to follow. Things wouldn’t happen right away but I convinced him to retire. It took me a week to do it but basically he suggested it first. I just needed to oil the machine a bit.
Later I got a postcards and letters and even photos from Mr. Pons and the retired Colonel. They were doing, as Mr. Pons it described, magnificent findings. Well, I was happy, happy because I could bring life to those two old men.
At this point of an adventure I began to wonder why it’s only old timers I see. Where are the younger ones? I need a man! Well, not, just kidding, but I was kind of missing the comfort and safety that Dan did brought to me. Maybe that was the old me speaking. Even though all the things I’ve survived from I was still yearning back to the old times. Probably not exactly as it was but something like that. Life is not that simple.
Finally I was at the Valadilene. First thing I saw were the mountains at the horizont. The air felt different and brought me back so many memories from the first visit. The bakery was open this time – I bought a tasty breat right out of oven and the innkeeper was, as usual, somewhere but patrolling behind the desk. I got my old room and didn’t mind carrying my own luggage this time. It wasn’t the same whining Kate Walker this time. The same old comfortable bed was waiting for me. I doupt no one slept there while I was gone. I slipped between the fresh sheets and had my first goodnight sleep for ages. This time I had time to use the bathroom as well.
The next day I paid a visit at the office of notary to discuss about business. Yes, I had experienced a lot and maybe lost my interest towards the work but actually it was just the lifestyle I didn’t miss. This whole new world, quiet town at the middle of Alps – like a fairytale. I had an agreement that I could start as a trainee at his office. The salary wasn’t great but enough to cover all the conveniences this lady needed. Slowly I began to learn that there wasn’t just ’Europe’ but a number of places, nationalities, cultures, habits and yes, languages. The will to learn was so strong inside me that it could break solid rock."
Thank you for reading
Yours
Kate