In Annailo's mind…
It was one of my first shifts at the store that I met him for the first time. It was autumn, and chilly outside. The elderly man with the silvergrey hair came into the store wearing only a thin, blue shirt.
Excuse me, he started, with a calm, diffident voice.
– I took the train from Tønsberg yesterday, and managed to leave my jacket on the train.
He smiled with warmth, and I let my eyes follow the lines on his face.
- I hung it, you know, right there by the window. And then I forgot all about it when I arrived here.
- I’m sorry, I said. – Did you have your wallet in there, too?
- I remembered to put my wallet in my pocket before I hung the jacket. But you know it is, that jacket has followed me everywhere. Now I feel a little… well, you know how it is.
I smiled and nodded with understanding. Like the man said, you know it is; jackets you get attached to. He looked so cold and lonely where he stood, even if his face had this warm light of goodness.
I called Lost Properties for him, and filed the jacket missing. He thanked me and bowed.
- Well, goodbye then, he said and bowed again. I watched him walk out into the cold. There was something about him that touched me, but I could not explain what it was
- Days went by, but I could not get this man out of my mind, wondering if that jacket ever came back to its rightful owner.
And it did! Exactly one week later he came happy and cheerful into the store, with a beige jacket hanging over his shoulders.
- Do you remember me?, he asked carefully.
- Of course I do, I smiled back.
- Well… as you can see, they found my jacket.
- That is so great, I expressed. – It’s getting chillier outside now.
- Yes… it’s obvious that we’re facing darker times now, he added, nothing more. He stood there for a while, and looked like he didn’t know what to do with himself.
- Well… goodbye again, then, he bowed, before he wandered out.
Every day after this, there was always a smiling man with a beige jacket in the afternoon-rush, every day he asked for the same.
- Back and forth to Tønsberg. With a discount.
Every day I dialed the same into the register, every day he had the exact amount counted and placed in my hand. Every day he bowed, smiled and said:
- Well… goodbye again then.
It wasn’t more than that. Every day another customer waited behind him in line, and we rarely spoke more than the usual. But it made every day whole, somehow, this warm face that was beautifully framed with the white. I often thought of him, why he was going back and forth to Tønsberg every day.
Then right before Christmas it was quiet at the store, when he arrived at the usual time. He asked for the regular, despite that I had already dialled it when I saw that beige jacket appear. But he just had to say, that it was back and forth to Tønsberg with a discount. When the money was exchanged and the tickets were safe in a wrinkled hand, he stayed. The sadness on the familiar face caught me.
- Are you okay?, I asked.
His face was turned down, and I saw that a new line had found its home on his forehead.
- Yes…, he nearly whispered. – Yes…
I let it hang there, didn’t want to dig into something that was not my business. The silence between us was nice, no one expected anything else. We stood there for a while, together in the silence. With sorrow in his yes he turned to me.
- It’s my wife, you see. She’s in a nursery home in Tønsberg. That’s why I go there every day, to visit my wife. But now they’re transfering her to Larvik.
His voice was fragile, it hurt deep inside of me. I didn’t say anything, listened and gave him the time.
- Now there won’t be any more travels to Tønsberg, he added.
I was sad, but tried to be positive for his sake.
- But then you don’t have to take these long trips, I said.
- Yes…, he nodded. – But now there won’t be any more travels to Tønsberg.
I felt that something small but important was about to end. He smiled that good smile of his, and I gave him one in return.
- Well… goodbye again, then, he bowed.
- Goodbye, I said. – Take good care of yourself.
I felt like I had said goodbye to an old friend that day.
He’s been on my mind every day in the afternoon-rush. It never became the same without him, and I missed both him and that beige jacket. When he finally stood there again one day, I felt how I lit up.
- Hey, I exclaimed. – Long time no see!
- Yes… yes… it’s been a while now, he nodded.
- How are you?, I asked, happy to see that dear face of his.
- Well… well… I suppose it’s okay, he answered.
He took his time, and placed the bag he was carrying on the floor.
- That’s one ticket to Oslo today, he said finally. – With a discount.
- You’re travelling far today?
- Yes… going to the big city now, he confirmed. – You see, now they’re going to operate my heart.
I paled, had to catch my breath over his words. He, on the other hand, pulled the corners of his mouth up.
- It will be okay, you’ll see. It is far worse for my wife. She’ll have a surgery in Tønsberg tomorrow, but I can’t be there with her.
I didn’t want to, but felt tears were pressing to come out.
- I wish I could be there, he continued. – But this heart, you know… now they’re going to operate.
The silence was once again good, but mournful. “What about you?”, I thought to myself. “Who is supposed to look after you?”
- That’s life, he said after a while. – It’s not always easy this thing called life.
- Unfortunately it isn’t, I said, and tried to keep the tears inside. If I could, I would have closed the store there and then. I would have taken the train with him, followed him and waited till his heart was repaired. Waited and been there.
- Well… goodbye again, then, he said.
- Good luck, I said, with a trying smile.
- It will be okay, you see, it will be okay.
Then he walked alone out to the train, and I was left alone inside.
(c) annailo.net – Do not copy in whole or in parts in any form. Thank you.
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