Budapest, Interlude
It was like feeling my stomach fall down through my legs, dragging my throat with it. I was talking with some dude trying to get me to stay at his hostel. We were still there at the Budapest train station, and I'd just got off a 5-hour ride from Prague. I grabbed my smokes to light up, then it hit me.
The zippo was gone. Probably slid out of my pocket onto the train seat. And just as I started rushing back to the train, it pulled away.
Joe, I am horribly, horribly sorry. It's taken serious effort not to just cry. Seriously. I forgot my passport one day in Rome, and I freaked out less. I went back to the train station later. I'd drawn a comic-like depiction of the train going to Budapest from Prague, a picture of the train seats with an arrow pointing between them, then a little picture of each side of the zippo.
The police weren't terribly pleased, but one of them did his best to understand (because there was no English to be had). I did my best with pantomime, then thrust the picture into his hands. He took me onto a docked train and had me kinda act it out. Finally he explained this to another cop -- who actually did speak a little English -- and they offered to fill out an official paper (like if I wanted to make an insurance claim). I told them I didn't need any official paper, but the zippo was really important to me. The cop who spoke English looked at me and said, "It's in another pocket now."
So yeah, I feel pretty horrible. And it doesn't help that I haven't slept much. So I'm going to go shower, and sleep awhile, and try and collect myself.
The zippo was gone. Probably slid out of my pocket onto the train seat. And just as I started rushing back to the train, it pulled away.
Joe, I am horribly, horribly sorry. It's taken serious effort not to just cry. Seriously. I forgot my passport one day in Rome, and I freaked out less. I went back to the train station later. I'd drawn a comic-like depiction of the train going to Budapest from Prague, a picture of the train seats with an arrow pointing between them, then a little picture of each side of the zippo.
The police weren't terribly pleased, but one of them did his best to understand (because there was no English to be had). I did my best with pantomime, then thrust the picture into his hands. He took me onto a docked train and had me kinda act it out. Finally he explained this to another cop -- who actually did speak a little English -- and they offered to fill out an official paper (like if I wanted to make an insurance claim). I told them I didn't need any official paper, but the zippo was really important to me. The cop who spoke English looked at me and said, "It's in another pocket now."
So yeah, I feel pretty horrible. And it doesn't help that I haven't slept much. So I'm going to go shower, and sleep awhile, and try and collect myself.
posted by Ghostwind | 2:47 PM
4 Comments:
...dear Edward,
I'm so, so, SO sorry for you. Really.
I know how you feel, because I've lost my precious zippo too, that was a gift, like yours.
Please don't be sad. Is not the object the important thing, is the meaning of the gift. And I perfectly know that you will remember it and bring it with you in your heart.
And a heart is so much more safe than a pocket.
Don't let those things bring you down, please. Think positive, somehow, and everything will be alright. I really believe it.
A big hug,
Angelica
p.s. ~ I wrote you an email.
Dear Eddie,
Can you imagine how excited the person who has found it must be? I am betting it really made his or her day. And since there is no getting it back at this point, there may be some consolation to be had that you gave someone (albeit accidentally) a most profound gift. Perhaps it was only on loan to you all this time, and now the time is up.
I am truly sorry for your loss, but also I am trying to help you consider it from as positive a perspective as possible. C'est la vie.
But this might be a good moment to check your pcokets: you do have your passport, right? Eddie? Your passport??
I love you, my dear son!
D
Eddie, brother, it's ok man. The zippo was not the important thing, the words engraved on it were. You still have those and that is what counts. Perhaps this is God saying you should kick the habbit, eh? :)
Besides I can kinda laugh thinking that perhaps someone who does not know english picked it up. Also, this makes your next christmas gift really easy to figure out. ;)
I know you feel bad about it, but it's ok, there are more important things in your trip than convienent ways to make fire. Though you better hold on to damn picture, I don't have the negatives heh.
Though as relatively smoothly as your trip has been going, perhaps you needed a little shake up, change never comes easy, especially those of a spiritual nature. Besides, once you learn magic and can call flame from your fingertips, what use will such primitive things be? ;)
Love,
-Joe
Post a Comment
<< Home