All around a very old train station, evergreen trees grew wild and careless. It had been build on the top of a hill, close to a little village made by small and simple houses. From outside a window's glass it was possible to see the steam coming from a coffee machine. An old woman, cleaning the kitchen, moved, followed by the smell coming from the boiling, metal object. She took two cups and she poured some dark liquid in both of them. Nate was calmly reading a book with his elbows leaned on the table. From time to time he adjusted his glasses and turned the page making the sound of autumn leaves crashed by children running.

"Do you want some milk, Nate?"

"Yes, please." He answered without leaving the page.

She went slowly back to the fridge and took the milk. Once poured, Nate's cup became brownish, almost beige while hers stayed dark black. Nate blindly moved his hand to the cup and start sipping his warm drink. Lana stared at her cup until she saw her reflection inside the calm and still liquid.

"What time is it?" Asked Nate.

The woman checked the kitchen clock, but its battery ran out long before, so she turned her wrist and stared at a small circle glass around his branch like arm.

"It's four o'clock. I keep forgetting the battery is dead."

Nate was immersed inside his story and didn't reply.

"Are you sure you want to go Nate?"

Only in that moment he stopped reading, taking off his glasses and left the book close to his cup.

"We have already talked about this. I must go."

Lana looked down. He reached her chin with his skinny fingers and lifted her head gently.

"Nothing is lost. You will be with me all the way to the station." He said smiling.

"Did you pack all your stuff?"

"I did. I only take that backpack." He said pointing to the door.

Lana turned and saw the familiar travel companion, Nate had never separated himself from.

"Will it be enough?" She asked.

"I will need even less."

Nate stood and took his stick that helped him walking.

"Time to go, or I will miss the train."

Lana nodded, she stood up and took her leather jacket. Nate did it too, then they moved out. Outside the air was still cold, but spring was coming. They walked slowly across the little village. They passed in front of the places of their youth. They crossed the road and walked on a little path close to a river which noise covered every other sound.

"Look." She said.

"The snow is melting and we can see the water beneath."

Nate stopped and smiled. He took a long breath and closed his eyes. A little tear rolled on his cheek. He wiped it away before Lana could see it.

"Shall we go on?" He asked giving his elbow to hold.

Close together they moved along following the river. Even if the noise was very strong they could hear the kids playing and screaming of joy. They reached a playground filled of families running after their little ones. Lana and Nate smiled to this sight.

"Do you remember when we used to come here and play ?" She asked.

"I do. We came here to have our first beers too, when we grew up."

Lana smiled.

"I remember the time we hanged around with all our friends. How fun was?"

"Totally. Do you remember the ice skate park?" He asked.

"How many times did we go there?"

They looked at each other, calmly deeply. They could see their own reflection in the other eyes. They held hands for few seconds and when Lana smiled her eyes did it too.

"I remember the girl that went crazy over you. She carried the ice blades to skate that night."

Nate scratched the back of his head smiling and becoming red on the cheeks.

"I remember. Let's keep going." He replied.

They kept on walking slowly like turtles till they reached the center of the small village. They stopped a little to rest in front of a coffee shop.

"Do you remember the cold winter nights when we came here to play cards?" He asked.

"Oh I do. You always tried new ways to cheat. You were too funny."

They went on and waved hello to the people who knew them for a lifetime. Nate leaned on the stick and he walked  on without stopping, determined. Lana looked at him like some kind of vision. She was surely thinking that leaving was a bad idea, but she knew how stubborn he was. She tried anyway.

"Nate, maybe we could go back. You can take the train tomorrow or the day later."

The old man turned and looked at Lana in such a sweet way that the snow around them melted faster.

"My dear one, you know me. I'm restless and focused on what I want the most. Now, is the only moment where everything can be accomplished." He said with a smile.

"I am going to the station, no matter what. Will you help me with the stairs?"

Lana nodded gracefully and smiled knowing she couldn't change his mind. Maybe all his life no woman had such power. She was surprise at first with the way he handled relationships. He asked nothing for himself except for a smile, but in exchange he always gave all his own, completely. Getting older, people started gardening or doing some activities related to inner work, but he never had such ambitions. The people around him were his flowers and he carefully took care of them leaving no fingertips. They just bloomed out of problems or hard situations thanks to his advices, but he never took credit of it. His modesty, simplicity and openness made his similar to a statue or a tall tree. All this was written into Lana eyes, she knew him the most.

They reached the stairs and she held Nate's arm. He was very tired and he needed to stop more than one time to catch his breath. Lana brought a little plastic bottle of water in her bag. He refused with a gesture of his hand and grabbed the handrail finishing the stairs with great effort. He took a tissue and pressed twice on his forehead and then throw it in the rubbish bin closer to Lana.

Once inside the station Nate stood in front of the cue to get the ticket. He opened the backpack and took out the money, no more or less, just the exact amount he needed.

"One way only, please." He said to the guy behind the dirty glass.

Nate exchange the money with the piece of paper. He folded and put it in his pocket. Then the two moved outside to wait for the fast, noisy creature of glass and metal. They sat on a bench and stared in front of them. Nate left the backpack to his right while Lana stood on his left. Only the wind was bringing echoes of the time they spent together in the company of many friends scattered who knows where.

"So did you check the reservation of the hotel?" She asked.

He laughed.

"I won't need that where I am heading. I am going to meet old friends."

"Yes, you told me, but I don't really understand. How will you manage to go without a suitcase, money or other things?"

"In the place I am going, less is more. Things work differently."

She thought about it for a moment.

"Will you come back soon?" She asked with worry lines on her forehead.

"Who knows. Time is relative. I may be gone for few days, but if you want to see me soon you need to live fully. If you do this, time will fly and I'll come back to you."

"Okay, just promise me you will take care of yourself. Call me, when you want to come back."

He smiled wide.

"Even if I would call you I think we won't recognize each other, but I promise I will come back for you."

Lana was very confused.

"Are you joking, right?"

"Yeah, of course."He said looking down.

"Sometimes I can't understand if you're serious or not."

A noise in the distance announced the train. Nate take a long breath and stood up very slowly. All the people took their luggage and took a place inside. Some waved goodbye to the people standing and waiting for the train to leave, some were busy making their seat comfortable, like birds nesting.

"One more question before you go." Said Lana.

Nate, who was already half the way on the stairs, turned.

"Why did you chose me? Why have we spent so much time together and you've never asked me to marry you? Why have we have never made love and you have been the best person I found on this earth?"

Nate went down the stairs even if it took lot of effort to walk up. He came closer to Lana and kissed her on the forehead.

"My dearest Lana. Thanks to you I learned to love in a deeper way, that allowed me to leave all my adventures without a scratch and with a purpose. You opened my blue eyes to a new reality. I am eternally bound to you and grateful. I can't help, but I feel like a thief asking you more when you already gave me the key to the secret of love."

"I did nothing Nate." She replied.

"Exactly, you just carried it with you and I simply had the luck to see it and be conquered by its strength."

"Will you always be so mysterious?"

"Always." He said smiling.

A very strong and metallic sound broke into their reality where time had stopped, while they looked in each other eyes.

"Go now." She said.

This time Nate finished the stairs and went to sit close to the window. Goodbyes always left him a strange cold feeling inside that was bitter sweet. The train departed leaving a long grey cloud of smoke followed by the sound of the wheels on the railways.

Lana stared at it until it disappeared in a tunnel inside the rocky mountain. She turned to go back home and to her surprise she saw Nate's backpack on the bench. Did he forget it on purpose? She thought.

Meanwhile the old man had put his jacket on his laps and the ticket over it. Few minutes later he felt asleep with his head pressed on the glass. Shadows and lights passed over his body, people around him talked loudly, but nothing disturbed his journey.

A young man came to check the ticket. He tried to wake him up, but he failed. He noticed then the ticket on his jacket. He grabbed it and after piercing it, he went on.

When the sun hid behind the mountains Nate was still asleep, but a little smile appeared on his face with no worry lines on his wide forehead.