Chapter 19
I don’t know I’m scared till I sense my body shiver. For a moment I attempt to understand what is happening, but then I surrender, letting my hand slip into Arthur’s. The shivers running through my worn out body gradually subside.
“Someone told me he’ll refuse to take any action before having breakfast and having some sleep. I decided to follow the example of that wise man, whoever he was,” I say.
“I never knew you could be reasonable. Since when has the change happened?” Arthur laughs.
“Since everything else started to be out of whack. I love contradictions,” I smile.
“Ah, it’s reassuring to know that at least some things never change. Come on, let’s go,” Arthur tells me, opening the car’s door.
When we enter the bed&breakfast a blond girl welcomes us with a broad smile. The whole place seems stigmatized in time. The girl too, young as she is, could be born in the 50’s and never aged since then.
“Welcome back,” she tells us.
I look at her questioningly.
“Here are your keys,” she says, handing us a keyset hooked onto a bulky slab of wood with 503 written on it, in black.
“And we have those croissants you like,” she adds airily, pointing at the room next door.
“Thank you Katy,” Arthur says, smiling back at her.
He heads to the dining room and picks a table, looking around with a content expression.
“Arthur?” I say.
“Yes?” he replies, turning my way.
“Are you sure you haven’t been here before?”.
“I’m not. I don’t remember being here, and yet it feels like I know this place and the girl,” he tells me.
“Of course you know the girl. You called here by name” I observe.
“Oh, did you not notice the name tag on her shirt?” he smiles.
“Would you not have known that her name is Katy without reading the tag?” I ask.
Before Arthur can give me an answer our breakfast arrives, carried by a plump lady, blond, all smiles.
“It’s good to see you again,” she says with familiarity, winking at us.
The croissants and the coffee exude their fragrant aroma, filling the room with the calming charm of known things.
We eat in silence, and then, suddenly, Arthur looks at me, smiling broadly.
“Don’t you feel like we just got married?” he asks me.
“Yes I do,” I reply.
For a moment I am surprised – almost startled - at the spontaneity with which the words come out of my mouth, before happiness dilates inside me, full and undeterred.
Arthur and I smile at each other, get up from our table and head to room 503, our hands laced together.
The two blonds wink at us as walk past them, and I ask Arthur, “When you said you wanted to sleep, did you really mean it?”