The Farang

Chapter 12

Three day had passed since he entered the city. Well not really entered, it was more of a 'dragged in a cage' sort of a situation. Everything that happened now seems like a dream. If he ever gets the chance to tell his story people will say that he is making it all up. He never imagined that something this crazy can even happen. And certainly could not have imagined it at all in his small little village up in the Pyrinees Mountains, where he grew up. Life there was ordinary. It was not a bad place to grow up. For a child it can be very fun. In winter when the snow fell he and his friends would take old sacks from the barn full them up with hay and tie it at the top with a string. And then they would climb to the top of the hill and slide down on the sack. It was so much fun. The rich kids had wooden sleighs that cost a lot of money and were crafted by skilled woodworkers. But little Miguel preferred his sack full of hay it was so much more comfortable and softer on the butt. That's the thing he misses the most, playing in the snow and breathing in the morning winter chill that really wakes up your lungs and makes you feel alive. Or in the summers, when his father wasn't looking, together with his friends they would take the horse cart, push it up a hill get in it and drive all the way down. They broke quite a few carts over the years that way. And once when they couldn't make the turn they ended up in the stone built chicken coop, the cart was smashed to pieces and his friend broke his arms. That was the only day that his father beat him, but it was worth it, that was so much fun, it was still fun many years later too, whenever he met Juan after that they would have the best laugh remembering that day.

For a grown up, there wasn't really much do there. He loves his family very much, but his heart was wild and always craving new and exciting things to see and to do. Every moment of free time, when he wasn't helping with the sheep or with the firewood, he would spend on the top of the hill just to the north of his village. From there he would look at the Atlantic Ocean and all the tall ships coming to and going from San Sebastian. He would set his imagination free, to fly with the white sails of the ships to lands far and wide, to cities large and small, to people scary and beautiful. He knew from an early age that he has the heart of an adventurer. Knowing that he can never be happy with the simple life, he had said his goodbyes and went to San Sebastian to join a crew. His mother's tears pained him a lot, but this was something that he had to do. His destiny lay across the blue water.

And in this land where he woke up stranded on the beach, all that his imagination could conger up had been surpassed many times over. Even though he was now sitting in a cage not sure of his ultimate fate, he will not change anything, he would do everything over again the same way. All his travels and experiences, and all his troubles and adventures, had lead them to her. 'Pinky.' Whispering her name brings a smile to his face.

"Stop dreaming you white devil." A small hand taps him on the shoulder. He turns around and sees a small face smiling back at him.

"Who are you child what do you want?"

"I am Little Mouse, Pinky sent me here to give you something" Said the child holding up a folded piece of paper.

Miguel reaches for it, but the boy pulls it back laughing. "Slow down big boy, calm down."

"Give it here you little rat."

"Hey, that's not nice. My name is not rat, it is mouse. Here I am bringing you a present and you insult me, don't they teach you manners where you come from?" The boy continues to tease him.

"You're right, I am sorry little mouse. Can I have my present please?"

"There you go. I was only having a little fun with you."

Miguel opens up the piece of paper and he starts reading quickly before the sun sets over the horizon and all light disappears.

Sweet Miki

I have never done this before. It is strange for me that I am writing to you. And it is even stranger that I am doing so when I only know you for a very short time. Somehow I feel that I have to tell you how I feel.

You saved me from the tiger, and I will always be grateful for that. But you did so much more. In the worst day of my life you made me feel comfortable. You cared for me. You teased me to make me smile, and made me forget about my troubles. I enjoyed hearing the stories about your life.

I can't put my thoughts into words to express how I feel. I don't know how I feel this is all new for me. This is something that I have never felt before. I feel very close to you, like I have known you forever. Did we know each other in a previous life?

All I know is that with you I feel comfortable. When you look at me with those strange eyes of yours I feel warm inside and I feel safe. And it feels right.

I wish the soldiers had found us a little later.

Thinking of you

Pinky

"What does it say?" Little mouse startles Miguel.

"That is none of your busyness. You are too young for things like this. What are you still doing here?"

"I am waiting to see if you want me to take back a reply from you."

"I am sorry if I yelled at you, you are right boy. You are completely right. Thank you."

Miguel thinks for a moment of his reply. "Go now, go to Pinky and tell her that I feel it too. When I was with her I felt good and warm inside. Tell her that she makes me feel very special. Tell her I think about her all the time. And I want to see her again and spend my time with her."

He takes a deep breath. "Will you remember all that?"

The boy nods, give him a big smile and goes on his way.

Hestarts reading again from the beginning.