dimanche 11 mai 2008

The journey home, part 3

The days passed quickly, so did the kilometres, the cities. Thessalonika, Skopje, Belgrade, Ljubljana, Trieste. We arrived in Venice ten days after leaving Athens, almost a month since Michael had decided not to leave, since he moved out of his hotel room and into the luxury of my tent. We were in desperate need of a shower, of a good meal, of some privacy.

We’d taken whatever lifts we could get to make it this far. People were generous – we’d slept in a bus with some Swiss travellers, shared meals with kindly Romanian truckers and slept in the back garden of a lovely couple from Ljubljana – and we never waited too long for someone to pick us up and drive off with us.

The hotel was the cheapest we could find for a room with its own bathroom. I'd be overselling it if I said it was a dive, but as bad as it was, it was as much pure heaven.

We sat in the bath for hours on end, topping it up and up, keeping the water as hot as we could take it. We lay in bed, ignoring the noise from the street below, enjoying the comfort of fairly clean sheets and a soft mattress. We enjoyed being alone and in private together.

We only had enough money to stay for two nights, so we made the most of it. We saw little of Venice, but I can still see that hotel room when I close my eyes.

Again, the cities and kilometres started to fly by. Bologna, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Milan.

In Rome, we were kicked awake at Termini station by police at 5am. We had been sleeping rough for days and were quite used to sharing our part of the station with the Africans who, by day, sold rip-off sunglasses and handbags spread out on sheets.

In Milan I got my smaller bag stolen and lost my camera, my photo’s and my address book. In a matter of minutes my memories of the whole trip had been taken. I no longer had pictures of my new friends, and no way to reach them again. I was heartbroken.

So much had happened to me, so many changes, so many good things, so many things to remember - and everything, all physical evidence of my recent life, was gone in the blink of an eye.

Everything was gone, but Michael remained.

But something wasn't right. As the UK got closer, as I got nearer to my family, I knew this wasn't for ever. I knew Michael couldn't see me with my family and not feel desperate for his own.

I knew this would end. It was just a question of when.

12 commentaires:

aims a dit…

Oh honey - I'm almost wringing my hands for you.....

I wanted to find the thief in Milan and demand your things back and then I thought a bit of happiness might be restored to you.....

Apparently I've sunk myself kneedeep in this....

The Hangar Queen a dit…

If it's any consolation a certain 'colleague' of mine has captured the thief and fed his entire family to pigs before his eyes. The the thief was broken upon the wheel.

Doesn't bring anything back but it sure made me feel better.

Edge of my seat here......

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Aims, I'm so glad you're enjoying this....If you sink too deep, let me know and I'll winch you out!

HQ, thank goodness that someone found him....I think we should adopt that feeding of the family to pigs thing over here. Sounds like a great deterrent or, in my case, an incentive ha ha, no I love you all really, ha ha.......

Swearing Mother a dit…

....and then what happened?

This tale has me gripped.

tornwordo a dit…

Kicked awake by police? Police are loathesome everywhere aren't they?

Megan McGurk a dit…

I had my wallet stolen in a club in Dublin years ago. The thief was kind enough to just take the cash and then return the wallet with all my cards and stuff.

Taking an address book is low. What use or value could it be to them?

Breezy a dit…

To have such a remarkable journey and make so many new friends then some git does that? Unbelievable. This is one of those gripping got to read it but I know it won't end well stories isn't it?

travelling, but not in love a dit…

SM, the next - and final - part of the tale is coming soon....

Tornwordo, I agree - and there was something particularly nasty about this lot.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Medbh, nice that you got your cards back - obviously a better class of petty thief in Dublin....

Breezy, You'll have to wait and see... but no matter how it turns out in the end, the whole journey brought me to the person I am today. In my eyes, that's a happy ending.

Daryl a dit…

Sure come over and leave a funny comment .. make me come read your blog and love it .. damn you...

:-Daryl

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Daryl, you caught me out...if it's any consolation I love your blog back ;-)

welcome.

Lane Mathias a dit…

Thieving scumbag rats. I hope you have the best memories stored in your head but it doesn't make up for the loss:-(