2. Dream, a Little Dream
Charlie Pipē is standing at the
old station, watching around in silence. The clock tower is dead. The old
station is pretty empty. And it is still early in the morning. Then, she looked
over her ticket train over and over again. The destination is supposed to be at
Elska Town. But now, it seems like this is not a place that she wants to go. Maybe,
she should start walking, and asked for help.
“Sir, excuse me sir,” Charlie
slowly approached the old man that holding a staff. “I was accidentally arrived
at here. My brother will get married on the next-two day. How can I get a new
ticket to Elska Town?”
“Elska? Never heard them. But
how did you get here?” said the old man, confused.
“I don’t know. Maybe this is my
mistake,” she replied. And she worried.
“If you say so, you should make
your shelter. It might take a while for us, this old station, to get you a
ticket to Elska. There’s a motel not very far from here. My wife works there
and she won’t charge you,” said the old man and smiled.
It is already 8 o’clock in the
morning. Charlie entered the room that she already check-in. What the old man said
to her earlier was right; it might take a while for them to get her a ticket to
Elska. Just look at the station, it is too old to keep operating. And the
motel? Too old to serve customer. This town is really isolated from the modern
things at the city; an old vintage style with some kind of oldies essence. She
did not know what is really happen at here but there is one thing inside her
mind- where is she right now?
Suddenly, someone knocked the
door. And Charlie opened it and met a sweet-plump woman in her 50’s who knows
her name.
“Charlie Pipē?”
“Yes…may I know you?” Charlie
asked.
“I’m the old man’s wife that you
met at the station. He told me about you. It’s rare for the outsider to come
over here but you did. Need anything?” said the old man’s wife, very friendly.
“Not this time,” Charlie
replied. “But, can you tell me this place?”
“We called it as our Little
Cwic. So, welcome to the Little Cwic. The place that you will remember the rest
of your life,” said the old man’s wife and smiled.
The first day for Charlie Pipē
at the new small town known as the Little Cwic began with the conversation with
the old man’s wife. And the old man’s wife brought her to meet everyone around
the small town. Everyone is very nice and kind-hearted. And everything is truly
evergreen; woody wheelbarrow, neighing horses, and old-stitch blouses. Charlie Pipē
is really amazed, this is the first old style town that she ever seen in her
whole life.
“So, dear…what do you think
about our Little Cwic?” said the old man’s wife while they get some rest under
the apple tree.
“This place is really…far,” she
replied. She still could not believe her eyes.
“That’s why we called it as
‘little’. Everything is ‘little’ over here- ‘little’ people, little facilities,
little places, little houses, little equipments but we have a big heart for
everyone. And maybe, this might be the first and the last day for you to meet
us.”
“Why not? I could ride a train
once again to come here,” said Charlie Pipē and chuckled.
Then, the old man’s wife brought
her into a public kitchen that serves everyone in every Sunday. And she learned
the way to cook an old-style potato chicken stew which it tastes much better
than anything that she ever tastes. Later, the old man’s wife teaches her how
to dance, dressed her like a doll, playing with children at the old chapel’s
playground, and finally, she enjoyed her evening under the apple tree with the
old man’s wife by watching the beautiful sunset at the sky.
“Today is wonderful. I never
felt this,” said Charlie with a big smile over her face.
“We couldn’t give you the best
gift but we can give you the best memories,” the old man’s wife replied.
“This town is beautiful. I’ll
never forget it. Everyone is so nice, and you are so kind.”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
Then, the old man appeared with
a piece of paper inside his hand. There must be something happened at the old
station. Did he manage to get the ticket to Elska Town?
“What happened?” asked the old
man’s wife.
“Nothing. I’ve got her ticket
just in time. It’s getting late. She should get her ride before night,” the old
man replied.
And finally, Charlie Pipē leaves
the little town before night. The sound of the old-rusty train becomes her
final-little goodbye for the old and nice couple, the old town with nice
people, and the old things that made her day.
* * *
The sun sweeps the ground. The
next new day has begun. Charlie Pipē awakes from her sleep and heard the
announcement of arrival and it means that, Elska is on her way. Now, the real
excitement is getting bigger.
Then, her mother who arrived one
week earlier took her from the station and brought her to her uncle’s home. And
everyone talks about her brother’s marriage on the next day. Charlie Pipē feels
relieved; she managed to arrive at here just in time. Thanks to the old man who
worked hard to get her a new ticket. And suddenly she remembered one thing
about them.
“Oh, snap!” Charlie Pipē
shrieked.
“What happened?” asked Ethel
Norman, her brother who will get married on the next day.
“I forgot to ask their name!”
“Who?” Ethel Norman confused.
“The old man and his wife.
Before I came here, I was accidentally arrived at the small town, Little Cwic.
His wife is very kind-hearted. She made my day with new things I never learned
before. And the old man helps me by getting a new ticket to Elska,” said
Charlie but Ethel seems more confused than before.
“I don’t know what you say.
Never heard of them. And, your train is
one way-ticket. There are no pit stops for your train to stop, or accidentally
stop. Besides, it takes two days from our place to come here. That’s normal.
And you know that too.”
“But Ethel…”
However, Ethel just laughed and
he thought that Charlie just make a new joke. Ethel convinced her that it might
be her dream while she slept in the train, and she just confused between reality
and a dream. Then, Charlie told her story to everyone but no one believes her.
And no one heard about the Little Cwic. No one knows about it. Maybe this time,
Ethel was right. It is just a little dream, although it feels so real- a taste
of potato chicken stew, the happy sound of children at the old chapel, and the
smell of the dress that she wore.
Then suddenly, she felt
something inside her pocket- a piece of paper. And she took it out and read it.
She read it over and over again. Soon after, she walked by and put a piece of
paper inside her brother’s hand. Then, Ethel read it and they looked to each
other. It says;
Little Cwic Station
Departure
:
Platform 1
Destination : Cwic to New Town
Date
and Time : 5th
April 1881, 6:30 p.m.
Caretaker in service : Mr. Anold Man
(To be continued...)
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