Unexpected companions II

I did not know exactly what had happened. There must have been a mistake. Nervous. A little confused. Just standing here. Waiting. In front of the sandstone archway to so many paths. With even more destinations. Above it flickered the huge scoreboard, which was certainly twice as big as me.

Behind it, the clattering of tracks, the echoing of footsteps, countless steps and voices, light, dark, loud, whispering and the hissing sound of wind - announced a new chapter. A new escape route from this problem. I ran away. Again.

The passengers streamed past me while my gaze was captured by white letters. Countless city names and times. Within the next hour, eleven trains would leave the station of Dijon. I could not be found. I had to disappear. He was not allowed to find a trace.

My smartphone was swimming with the fishes in the city garden lake. The wig itched. The new name on my passport was ridiculous. Rosa J. Rosenbusch. I knew that German passports were much safer. But Rosa J. Rosenbusch? Had the document forger looked too deep into the glass of wine while choosing that name. A pink rose bush, seriously? I decided to stop being annoyed about it. It had to be done fast. No withdrawal possible. Although I doubted that the two-week right of revocation also applied to forged passports. It did not really matter. Most customs officers were probably not well versed in the German language to notice this joke. To be on the safe side, I should not travel to Germany, Austria or Switzerland with my new passport for the next four years.

I wrapped my wool coat tighter around my waist, pulled the pale blue silk scarf just above the tip of my nose and buried my fingers deeper in the pockets on the sides. The terrible autumn wind whistled through the station concourse. My whole body trembled, not only because of the cold, but due to anxiety as well. What was I actually doing here? Running away? Again. I didn't want to end it...now. But why bother? I didn't understand myself. Pulling even some extra luggage along...

Confused, I lifted my head as three clear bell chimes slashed the soundscape and the somehow friendly but monotonous voice of a lady echoed. "Ladies and gentlemen, please proceed to platform two in the direction of Geneva. The train will leave shortly. Please board the train. Be careful at the doors and at the departure of the train. Thank you very much."

But if I really wanted to disappear like a ghost. Only four destinations on the scoreboard came into question.

I had to go to one of those intersection points where the rail networks met. Every direction was open. Too many possibilities and people, impossible to track.

If I really didn't want to be found, I had to go to a metropolis and from there... get on another train. Destination never known even for me.

My eyes fell on the blue board.

Bern? Paris? Brussels? Stuttgart?

I would like to enjoy sun. A place where it was warm and cosy, somewhere by the sea.A small fishing village, a little cottage among olive groves. That would be nice. Then maybe Spain perhaps? My Spanish wasn't really sparkling. But I could still learn it... or maybe Greece? I didn't know Greek at all.

"And do you already know what ticket you're buying?" Suddenly, I was gasping for breath as a hand laid on my shoulder and tore me apart from my thoughts.

My body was stiff as a poker. Alarmed. Only for a fraction of a second, until the question was properly connected in my net and I could recognise the voice behind it. My brain quickly gave the all-clear.

"Elodie... H-allo..." I couldn't help but stare at her in bewilderment.

A bright smile played around her rosy lips. She had hidden her long hair under a white woollen cap, only a single curl sprouted from it, which fell unruly over her high forehead. She had put on thick make-up that I almost couldn't recognise her. If it hadn't been for the little boy on her hand, who looked strangely familiar. Elodie disguised herself pretty well. "Probably," I replied with a grin on my lips, looking down at the child. He nibbled calmly at his croissant. Which was more sucked than bitten. "Is this?"

"Say hello, Adrien. This is aunt Lily."

"H-hello...", he murmured politely, his big azure blue eyes glistening curiously. It was a deeper, more brilliant blue than his mother's. So I thought he had to wear contact lenses."Hello." I reached out my hand. He hesitated for seconds, studying my face, rather sceptically, before his chubby little hand got lost in mine. A hesitant smile sparkled around his red lips. His little face was round and rosy with cute chubby cheeks that I would have loved to pinch. "I am Lily and who are you?"

"Adrien," he murmured and threw himself on his mother's leg.

Lovingly Elodie brushed the toddler's dark, curly hair.

"Hug Mommy!" Adrien stretched his chubby arms upwards and glanced carefully out from behind her leg. Elodie quickly leaned down towards the child with an apologetic smile on her lips before pulling him into her embrace and lifting him up. "Mama," he whispered happily and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

He was as cute and charming as a cute puppy. But without all the baby fat, he looked very much like two people from my unpopular circle of friends. The answer was already on the tip of my tongue. But I had to postpone the question to another time.

I pointed with the tip of my finger at the ticket machine. "Paris for the time being. Then Spain?"