the trip

worked web photo

"I am ready! hello?! do you hear me, said i was ready?!" said the little man looking up, hoping for some answer. he stared up there for a while, silent. took a gulp of air and again said, loudly, to be sure he's heard "I am ready for the voyage!"... then for himself, looking down "always been ready. all my life". he turned around to the pile of luggage layered behind him, looking at it, with surprise and tiredness at the same time. "so many bags... don't know why i have so many. don't even remember what's in the first one and can't even reach it to look. i barely  guess the content of the last, or do i? why the hell do i have so much luggage? what for did i gathered so many useless things? what was i thinking?" he looks up for a sec hoping for some answer to come down from there - either of the questions remained with no response. he is ready and he has an amount of foolish boxes, bags, some chests, a trunk, a hidden locker - so hidden he'll never find it again, few knapsacks stuck in a pile together, a dusted old leather briefcase, a cloth hoop, a kit bag and three handbags - never knew how he got to have them in the first place, but what the hell, right?!

he looks up again. his neck hurts. he fetches a sigh like it is the last, a deep hot-aired sigh, along with some small low words "said was ready"... he shakes all over and yells "voyage? i'm waiting down here, so you know! nah! don't hurry for me! don't even bother to answer! good to know i'm here, ready, right?! yeah... anytime now! feel free to... say something! in fact, feel free to... anything! hello?!"

suddenly turns round in-front of the pile behind him "maybe i should re-arrange all of this. maybe... that's why they're still waiting. i really should know all the things i have. maybe they require a list of them all, some sort of inventory... yeah, that's why they're still waiting, sure that is. but where to start from?" he looks up searching for anyone who could see him... he steps back-away from the pile - few steps until he gets  a bit of distance. he looks up again with a shy corner-mouth smile. "nah, i'll say i've found them here and don't know who they belong to. maybe someone forgot them. sure. or... it's just a pile of garbage. it sure looks like one..." his face clusters in a wrinkle-crowded grimace "all of this. it's my life. i've gathered them from all around. all my savings, my memories, my stuff... i did love each and everything here some while ago. there's no biggy  i don't remember them all... i'm not perfect and there were few years that have gone by if i do remember well, so who could remember all? nobody! so who could judge me for this? yeah, nobody! it's my stuff, i'll probably need some of them later, or all, who knows?! and they're not a lot! they're quite few for my age. and i've traveled so much these past years, it's normal i gathered few things, no? maybe they're not ready for me yet. ha, that's it! they're not ready and they hide with no shame, thinking i can't figure it out... tricky little bastards!". looks up with courage "hey, you there! i can come back in a while if you're not ready yet! hear me? don't mind. ok? but i'll leave my luggage here, if there's no bother, ok? kind of stupid to carry it with me if i get back here after all... am i right? and no problem if you're not ready yet, really, no problem at all! i don't mind a few time more here... if i think about it, i have some things to do... left some things unfinished, if you know what i mean... and no worries, ok, i won't bring any more bags or something!... so. it's ok, ha?! how long do i have till you're ready? if you say nothing... i'll figure it out for myself, you know?! you might not like it, so to speak... anything?! an hour? a day? in a week to come back? how many years?! come on, give me a figure here, a clue or...". 

he stops to listen. nothing. he steps back gaining speed step by step, walking backwards. he turns around and almost runs, shouting to his back with no concern if he is heard or not "you let me know when you want me back! and promise no more bags this time! i'll just enjoy the trips here... and for souvenirs, i've got a photographic memory. so no more things! that's it! take your time... " and for himself, running, laughing, like a newborn "i'll sure take mine..."