Day 28: Eidelweiss

Dedicated to the Steinmanns.

Erica sat in a pub garden, smoking and thinking about how stupid she was.

“Are you OK there?” said an American voice.

Erica looked up at a woman she had never seen before. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, but Americans tended to be over-sympathetic and she was feeling particularly sorry for herself so she said “yes” in a way which she hoped the woman would take to mean “no”.

The woman sat down opposite her. She was wearing a lot of layers for summer, included a crocheted hat. She probably thought she was arty.

“I’m Karen,” the woman said, rolling a cigarette. “May I borrow your lighter?”

“Sure… I’m Erica.”

“Good to meet you. Say what’s a young girl like you doing drinking alone?”

“Waiting for a friend, she’s running really late.”

“So’s mine. No fucking respect!” Karen laughed and exhaled a plume of smoke. “I love English pubs. I’m from California.”

“Oh, how long have you lived here?”

“About 800 years. I’m a writer.”

“That’s so cool.” Erica meant it, she wished she was a writer.

“What do you do?”

“I’m an English teacher.”

“So, you’re smart and caring then right?”

“Well I’m not a good English teacher.”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t be one in that case. I’m going to go get a whiskey, you want one?”

“No thank you.”

“Well let me get you something. What do you like? Vodka? Beer? Wine?”

“Beer, but let me give you some money.”

“No, I’ll get it. Buying a teacher, even a shit one, a drink can be my good deed for the day.”

And with that she disappeared into the pub, leaving Erica wishing she was Karen and not herself. She looked at her phone and saw a text from her friend Alex.

Walking now. I should be 15 mins. Soooooo sorry xxx

Erica replied, no worries xxx, and lit another cigarette.

Karen returned with a whiskey and a beer.

“What’s your inner landscape?” she asked as she sat down.

“Pardon?”

“Your inner landscape. Everyone has one. It’s the place where you are most at peace.”

“Like my bed?”

Karen laughed, “I love that miserable British humour, especially on young people… no, I mean like the forest or something.”

“Is yours the forest?”

“Mine changes a lot. At the moment it’s this white beach at the Bay of Biscay in France. You been?”

“No.”

“Oh it’s gorgeous. I went there last summer and since then I’ve gone there in my mind every day… so come on then, what’s yours? It has to be somewhere you feel safe, where you won’t have shitty thoughts.”

Erica thought for a moment.

“Maybe mountains.”

“Which mountains?”

“The Swiss Alps.”

“That’s a wonderful choice. I haven’t been there for years. When did you go?”

“A couple of years ago. I was an au pair.”

“Where you a good au pair?”

“I was OK I suppose.”

“Oh as good as that! At least that’s better than you are a teacher apparently.”

Erica laughed in spite of herself.

“The kids like you? Did you keep them alive?”

“Yes.”

“Well sounds like you did a fine job to me. Tell me more about this mountains. Were you living in them, like Heidi?”

“No we visited for a long weekend.”

“What did you love about them?”

“They were green with lots of wild flowers. Thousands of colours… The lakes were crystal clear… it was sunny… the light was different.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“It was. And far away from everything else.”

“And how did you feel?”

“I actually cried a lot, but in a good way.”

“Crying is good.”

“I felt… lucky. And free.”

“You are free.”

“No I’m not.”

“Sure you are. Any time you don’t feel it, just go visit that mountain. Sounds like it was good for you.” Karen took a sip from her whiskey. “Hey, is this your friend?”

Alex gave Erica a hug.

“I am so sorry!”

“It’s OK! I made a friend. This is Karen. Karen this is Alex.”

Karen smiles. “Hey Alex, good to meet you. I’ll leave you girls to it.”

“No you can join us if you like.”

“No thank you – three’s a crowd! I’m gonna go find where Daphne’s got to.”

“Oh ok.”

“Have a great day, and don’t forget those mountains OK?”

Words: 713

Challenge: write a story inspired by your time in Switzerland