Arcade valley is as exquisite as it was described by Julia, nothing less, even during the setting sun ,the valley had its own beauty and charms. Evans eyes enjoyed the beauty, his heart was searched for his love.
Evans took shelter at the village rest house for the visitors and travellers. He couldn't sleep , he counted every second and waited for the next day to begin.
It was six in the morning and Evans have already been dressed up and had some leftover fruits for his breakfast and set out to Eve's shade, to see his love. Since Arcade valley being a small village it wasn't hard to find out where Julia's house.
Evan's chest was pounding as he approached near Julia's house, with all his courage he went up to the door , Evans was always confident about how he looked but now he's having an anonymous inferiority complex attack. He is shivering and paralysed in such a way that he wasn't even able to raise his hand in order to knock on the door.
He took a deep breath let out all chills , with all his courage he knocked on the door, he knocked twice and the third time when he was about to knock he heard a lady yelling in a pleasant voice "Coming!"
"Is that her?" Evans swallowed a sudden shrill.
In a moment a fair lady who is in her later 50s opened the door , with doubt and a small smile she politely asked "Good morning, How may I help you son?" Evans was sure that it was Julia's mother. He blushed and confused, the only thing that came out of his mouth was "Julia". Mother looked rather surprised than confused, and asked him carefully "You are not from around here isn't it?! Who are you son?"
"I'm Evan.Yes you are right I'm not from Arcade Valley or even from this country , I'm actually from Romania and Good morning". He said it out with a broad smile.
Julia's mother looked shocked , suddenly a young girl passed across the living room and stopped to see who's at the door. It was Claire, and for their surprise, they recognised each other in no time, Claire came near, suddenly her mother noticed this and said "What is it that you want son?"
"I'm here for Julia and of course to meet you all." Evans said it in a soft voice while diverting his eyes from Claire to Mother .
"You're at the wrong address son, no one lives here with the name Julia.
Have a wonderful day son". She announced in a polite ,suppressed manner and closed the door even before he could say something.
Evans was surprised by how she reacted and an ocean of despair flushed through his heart and he felt like he couldn't stand on his feet anymore. He couldn't believe anything and something didn't feel good but he couldn't give up he went on to knock again but there was no answer this time.
"I just wanted to talk to her please" Evans shouted at the door, no answer. Heavy drops of tears rolled down his cheeks , he begged over and over , still no answer came from the other side.
He stood up with his heavy heart and started walking out of the house compound, he couldn't feel his legs , he couldn't feel the world, everything was blank to him. After a while he heard a feeble voice calling out for him , he didn't, it dake closer and suddenly it was just behind him
"Evan" he stopped and turned around to see who it was , it was Claire, she showed a gesture to follow her with her head. He was surprised, wiped his tears and followed her without any second thoughts. They've been going really far from the village to a forest nearby, Claire stopped and turned around , Evans who still has the surprise in his face, looked at her without blinking,
"I never thought that you would come, but she did." Claire began " She , I mean Julia has told me everything, I want you to calm down please and listen to me carefully." Evans stood both in confusion as well as curiosity.
"I was told that you've been informed about the situation that existed in our house regarding her marriage, she fought our parents and kept faith in you till the very last moment but my father was way adamant . A month ago his friend and his family from other village came to our place with a marriage proposal for Julia and the groom was his son, my couldn't agree more, he married her off with his friend's son irrespective of all her resistance."
"What?!....No!!! No way!!!! Tell me you're making this up.... please....." Evans screamed with pain and anger. Claire didn't know what to do, her eyes became moist, she was helpless,
"Please Evans, be brave" she hugged him tight and she realised how lifeless Evans felt. Every single dream went through his eyes like a flashback , all he could do was to yell at them and cry but not to touch.
Claire hugged him till she felt that he has gained all his senses back, and after a while she released him.
"How cruel is this world to not to let me see my Julia's face?" Evans murmured while weeping. Claire thought of giving him Julia's picture but then thought not to because she wasn't sure if he would cling on to this or not and waste rest of his life, so she thought of making him go back to Romania , to his home.
Claire was one among the best companion that Evans got after Julia, she wasn't quite ready to leave him on his own in the middle of the forest, she told him that there was not point in waiting in Arcade valley for Julia, at last Evans decided to go back, so Claire helped him to find a traveller cart for him to get back to the mainlands the next day. While taking him back to his place where he stayed ,she also asked the owner of that place to take a special care of him and to send him food till tomorrow morning. Claire left Evans at the rest house and headed back to her house.
Evans couldn't fight his tears anymore and he cried till he heard a knock on the door , when he opened it was the owner's son with lunch, looking at Evans he asked "Are you alright?!" concerningly, "Yes, I am" Evans said without looking at him. "Ok I'll leave your lunch over the table , and I'll come back to take the plates back in the evening, enjoy your meal sir" he said in plain and concerned voice. "Thank you!" Evans closed the door .
In the evening when the boy came to fetch the plates , he found that Evans hasn't touched it yet.
"You know not having food is not a remedy to whatever you are suffering with, except for diarrhea " He said to Evans in a pleasant funny manner. Evans gave him a weak smile and said "I'm not hungry, and I'm sorry for your trouble."
"I'm Peter, and I know you're in trouble and you need help.... I could help you ....if you want ... Like man to man ....!"
"I'm alright Peter, I don't think I have an appetite, I lost everything the moment I lost what I thought was mine for all these years"
"My father told this ,while he was narrating us his story..." Peter looked at Evans and Evans was clueless, Peter continued "My father was from the mainlands, he used to work as the post man, he fell in deep love with a lady in the mainland and went on to marry her but her father didn't want her to marry a post man and married her off with a businessman from around. My father was heart broken, left his job came to the mountains to commit suicide" Peter giggled and continued " that's when he met my mother and she persuaded him from committing suicide and brought him back to life,he traveled all alone to most parts of Scotland like he and his ex girlfriend has planned then he got settled in Arcade Valley, they got married and had three kids, and now they own this place and now he's the happiest man." Peter sighed
"My point is don't ever weep over what we lost, because God must be taking away something from us to give us something better or something unexpected, but make sure you do everything to make it happen. And always think about our beloved ones , I know it's easy to say but you'll have to be courageous to make it work."
Peter stopped and looked at Evans who was listening to it patiently and said nothing but just nod.
"Alright, so when are you planning to leave ?!"
"Tomorrow morning"
"At what time?"
"Nine in the morning"
"Okay then I think you need to pack things and freshen up yourself right ?!..." Evans nodded with agreement
"I'll bring dinner a bit late ,so that you'll be ready.... Is it alright?!"
"Yes" Peter left the room and Evans sighed and started packing, suddenly he saw his dad's suit that made his eyes moist , wiping his eyes he kept it inside his bag , he finished packing and went to take bath, as the water fell into his body he cried out all his pain, after taking bath he got dressed up and came out to see the dinner was already been kept on his table. Evans had dinner but didn't had the appetite to finish it. When Peter came to take back the utensils he had a smile while seeing Evans plate half empty and he said good night and left the room.
Evan cried most of the time, till he fell asleep without even knowing.
Peter woke Evans in the morning, it was around eight in the morning, Evans got fresh, had breakfast, got ready with all his belongings and went out of the room , Peter helped him to load his bags in the carriage, before entering into the carriage, Peter gave his packets of biscuits and cookies, and a stem of lavender as a gift from Arcade Valley. They hugged each other and while he was about to leave, he saw Claire rushing past the crowd towards Evans, he waited for her and when she came in , she gave him bread and cheese for the bread and cakes, she hugged him and bid him farewell.
Evans looked at Arcade Valley for the one last time before leaving and then never again.
He reached the mainland, he thought of going back in train so he picked a taxi to go to the nearest railway station, once reaching there he looked for tickets available and got tickets but unfortunately he had to wait for another day to board the train. He spend a day at the railway station and all he had to buy was water bottle, also he collected the magazines and other articles to read it while traveling, a day passed,watching sorrow of passengers leaving their loved ones behind and the joy of people meeting their loved ones after a while. Evans train came by and he hurried inside and got settled down inside his compartment, his compartment was empty so there wasn't much he had to do and he wasn't quite ready to let him swallowed by the horrors of loneliness. The train halts for thirty minutes, so he waited outside the train to start moving , standing right outside his compartment. A man came along and his luggages were being carried by a taxi driver who suddenly caught Evan's attention, he was Stefan, the taxi driver who helped him to get to Arcade Valley. Evans tried to avoid him but Stefan recognised him and came towards him with suprise, "Evans, isn't it?"
Evans nodded
"Don't you remember me?!... I'm Stefan... I took you to the mainlands from the airport."
"Yeah I do.."
"So how are you ?! And where is she ?! Your Juliet?! ".
"I don't know" Evans sighed with his head down with helpless.
"Hey buddy are you alright?" Stefan asked concerningly
"I hope you have a nice day dear friend".
Evans went inside the compartment with a soft smile.
"You too dear friend" Stefan exclaimed with a sudden sadness.
Evans sat inside his cabin and waited for the train to depart as he watched Stefan faded away. On the other side of the train was an another platform, he watched every one who came in and out of the station from that side of the platform. His train was about to take in five minutes, he saw a family comprising of an old parents, a man who seems to be their parents, another woman,who seems to be his wife by appearance she had golden locks, approached the station from the other side of the station they have settled down at the station and found seats for the elder parents . Something was really special about her, he couldn't let his eyes off that girl, may he because he has been so desperate to see his Julia, he believed that it was her but he wasn't quite sure so he laid back to his seat and continued looking at that girl, as the train moved and at some point he couldn't see her anymore. A deep silence and darkness covered him all over, he couldn't let his mind not to compare the girl he saw at the station with Julia. Tear rolled down his cheek as the station starts to disappear.
