Salty tears dried on my cheeks, I thought, unafraid of what I would or could think .One simple touch healed something in me or maybe removed my fear. I thought about it ;the whole ordeal.
"Funny ,isn't it," Zelda tapped her mug."The things were afraid to want",
"It's easier to talk about it ,that fear is an illusion, not so easy to apply to life .It's scary and exhausting too"
"Life's like that ,it always has ways to make us feel like we're trash but then also makes us feel like we're the highest opponents of ourselves .In the end it's up to you ;what you want to make out of your life ," Zelda answered.
"That would make us masters of our fate, which we can't fully be" I replied reluctantly.
"Oh but you can ,if only you know how to..."
That struck .The line was familiar.
"You don't have to say yes or no yet, you know, not today... ever" A pause," but if you ghost me, I'm keying your bike," Zelda said as she leaned back and sunlight caught the silver in her hair.
I choked on an unexpected laugh ,quick and sharp, "That's your pep talk?"
"Nah," She passed a collection of papers towards me, "This is,..."
The title page glared up at me:
"Journey to Renaissance, 1848"...,
My name, My name...
I flipped to a random page: line, page 44:4.
"I chose freedom,"
The line vibrated in my ribs .Zelda watched ,silent, as I tightly gripped the paper in my hand."that feels..."
"Like home?" Zelda replied softly, not more than a whisper. "I was inspired... by you... you change people ,you know,"
Silence
"I,Im honored..," I stuttered.
"And I'll be shattered" Zelda smiled, "But well ,gotta go .Think about it ;all the time is yours."
"This just makes it a whole lot easier to think" I said ,waving the script in my hand.
As she got up and walked towards the cafe door Zelda --- in her writer and producer demeanor --- called out:
"Goodbye for the present, sergeant",
I looked at her with the dreamy smile ,eyes not quite my own and closed them as the song at the back transitioned from "Revolution" by The Score to
"Home"
by Good Neighbours
(Line 1:11)