12. THE POLICE
Nina could not fall asleep and looked at the sporadic lights of farmhouses that appeared in the distance scattered in the darkness. She couldn't get the image of her mother out of her mind, and what she might do right now. In the other seat, the young mother and her baby slept peacefully, lulled by the bus's noise. Nano had also fallen asleep, and he was balancing himself precariously on the reclining back of the seat. Nina watched him and felt lucky to have met him because that friendship would bear fruit. She was sure that if there were no unforeseen events that forced her to separate from him, she would compose many beautiful songs with his help and inspiration.
Two hours after her departure, the bus entered the town where the first stop was scheduled. The lights from the lanterns illuminating the entrance woke Nano.
“Are we there yet?” He exclaimed, still sleepy.”
“No, I think it's only the first stop. I need to get off the bus and stretch my legs, I have them numb.”
They entered the bus station, where new travelers awaited their arrival with the same bleak appearance. The young mother and her baby had also woken up, and the baby cried again with even more energy. The travelers were upset and seemed to berate the mother for not silencing her. It interested Nina in the cause of that persistent crying.
“Would have to change his diapers, but I don't know if I'd give me time.”
“I'll ask the driver. Your baby can't go dirty for the whole trip! Nano, come with me, I want to ask the driver how long he has stopped.”
They got off the bus and entered the terminal bar, where the driver talked to two sober-looking men. They had the jackets hanging on the back of the chair, and from their, similarity Nano thought they must be uniform. He approached them under the pretext of asking for a soda and saw two plates in their pockets, so he deduced that they must be police. He paid for the soda and joined Nina.
“Nina, our journey ends for the moment!”
“Why?” She asked alarmed.
“Because there are two policemen with the driver, and surely they will get on the bus to check the passengers' identity. We have to retrieve our luggage with some excuse. Yes, we say that we have to return because it has informed us of the death of a relative.”
As Nano had deduced, the two were police officers and got on the bus while retrieving their backpacks and guitars. Moments later, the bus was leaving again without the two of them.
Nina and Nanosat down on one of the terminal benches, and despite this unexpected setback, they were relieved because they had passed the first test of their risky adventure. In a few minutes, the bus terminal had been deserted, and the bar closed its doors. They turned most of the lights that illuminated off, and only the room where they remained confused and disoriented remained illuminated.
“Where are we? What are we going to do now?” Nina asked in anguish.
“I don't know, Nina, but something will occur to me.”
A security guard from the terminal suddenly entered the room, and again they were alarmed, but he only warned them they had to leave because he had to close the terminal until the next bus arrived. They carried the backpacks, the guitars, and moments late,r they ware on a desolate avenue on the outskirts of the town.
“What do we do now?”
“Good the question, I wish I could answer it! If we could call a taxi...”
“And where do we tell him to take us?”
“There may be movement in the center, and some pub is still open.”
“It wouldn't hurt, because I'm getting hungry.”
“Are you rested for walking? We cannot stay here, we have to go downtown, and there is no other way than to walk.”
“Okay, Nano, I hope it's not too far.”
They walked for more than half an hour, but they didn't get anywhere that could be the center, and all the bars and restaurants were already closed. Nina was exhausted. Suddenly, they found themselves on a spacious and well-kept promenade protected by a retaining wall against the rise of the storms' tides or the sound waves. Along the promenade, there were luxurious summer houses. Most of them seemed unoccupied; only two of them showed signs that they were inhabited.
One of them, already at the end of the walk, was profusely illuminated, and the sound of music from the latest commercial songs of the moment arrived.
“They must have had a party. If we get closer, they will believe that we are part of it, and we can rest on the beach.”
The luxurious home's spacious garden was lavishly lit with Chinese lanterns, and a group of children and teenagers dressed in nightwear held a pajama-party.
“They seem to have fun,” Nina commented, remembering the ones she had attended. “I wish I could be at that party instead of running away and hiding like we were criminals.”
They entered the beach on the other side of the promenade and dropped exhausted on the warm sand.
“I can not take one more step,” lamented Nina. “We stay here, no matter what!”
“I think we can rest here safely; nobody will think that we are not part of the party.”
The night was warm, but a cool breeze wiped the sweat from their foreheads because they wore too warm clothes. The glow of the Chinese lanterns dimly lit the sand on the beach, but they couldn't make out the seashore, only the monotonous sound of the waves hitting them as they broke through the sand.
“I have never slept on a beach, but now that I am here, I feel it is beautiful to fall asleep looking at the stars,” Nina commented, “even if they are barely seen. It is a wonderful feeling of freedom. When all this happens, and we are not running away from anyone, we will return to these beaches and sleep on the sand on clear nights, and the stars are visible, right, Nano?”
“I want to sing, now I feel good. Take out your guitar and come with me.”
Nina seemed to feel magically transported to a starry sky suspended in space. That sublime show deeply motivated her and hummed some musical phrases from an impromptu song:
When you are by my side,
the stars seem to laugh,
the moon seems to dream,
the sea seems to sing.
When you are next to me,
the wind seems to play,
the sun seems to kiss
the sky, it seems to caress.»
When he finished, the applause came from the walk, and a middle-aged woman, also dressed in a nightgown, approached them and commented enthusiastically:
“Bravo, bravo, beautiful song!”
They were alarmed, but the woman reassured them.
“Do not panic; I am the mother of children who celebrate the pajamas-party. I went out because there is too much fuss in there. But who are you and what are you doing here? But don't tell me because I can guess! How long have you escaped from your h
“We don't ...!” Nina wanted to protest, but the woman cut him off.
“Do not fear, I will not denounce you. I know you escaped because the song was overflowing with nostalgia; that's why I loved it. You remind me of myself. I ran away from home too, and I had a moral reason, as surely you will. As adults, we forgot when we were teenagers and innocent, and we didn't understand their corrupt world. My parents constantly quarreled because of disagreements with money. They were rich, but my mother wasted money on her quirky whims. I couldn't take it anymore, and I ran away from home, but I was not as lucky as you, girl, I ran away alone, and my adventure did not last even 24 hours. They found me crying on a park bench and returned me to my home. Adults did not understand my reasons. My parents seemed very affected, but a week later, they were fighting again. It was a relief that they divorced. Is something similar happening to you? But, let's stop talking and come to the party, I want you to sing for the children, and then you can stay to sleep at my house, but tomorrow you have to continue on your way, and you haven't met me, all right, children? But what is your name, because I suppose you dislike to be called children, although for me you still are.”
“My name is Nina, and I'm almost 16 years old,” Nina replied.
“I'm Fernando, although everyone calls me Nano, I will soon be 18 years old.
“What a curious coincidence: Nina and Nano. A perfect name for a duo! My name is Sofía, although my children simply call me “Sofi.”
Nina and Nano gathered their backpacks and entered the house's large garden before the children's curious gaze who participated in the party.
Two hours after her departure, the bus entered the town where the first stop was scheduled. The lights from the lanterns illuminating the entrance woke Nano.
“Are we there yet?” He exclaimed, still sleepy.”
“No, I think it's only the first stop. I need to get off the bus and stretch my legs, I have them numb.”
They entered the bus station, where new travelers awaited their arrival with the same bleak appearance. The young mother and her baby had also woken up, and the baby cried again with even more energy. The travelers were upset and seemed to berate the mother for not silencing her. It interested Nina in the cause of that persistent crying.
“Would have to change his diapers, but I don't know if I'd give me time.”
“I'll ask the driver. Your baby can't go dirty for the whole trip! Nano, come with me, I want to ask the driver how long he has stopped.”
They got off the bus and entered the terminal bar, where the driver talked to two sober-looking men. They had the jackets hanging on the back of the chair, and from their, similarity Nano thought they must be uniform. He approached them under the pretext of asking for a soda and saw two plates in their pockets, so he deduced that they must be police. He paid for the soda and joined Nina.
“Nina, our journey ends for the moment!”
“Why?” She asked alarmed.
“Because there are two policemen with the driver, and surely they will get on the bus to check the passengers' identity. We have to retrieve our luggage with some excuse. Yes, we say that we have to return because it has informed us of the death of a relative.”
As Nano had deduced, the two were police officers and got on the bus while retrieving their backpacks and guitars. Moments later, the bus was leaving again without the two of them.
Nina and Nanosat down on one of the terminal benches, and despite this unexpected setback, they were relieved because they had passed the first test of their risky adventure. In a few minutes, the bus terminal had been deserted, and the bar closed its doors. They turned most of the lights that illuminated off, and only the room where they remained confused and disoriented remained illuminated.
“Where are we? What are we going to do now?” Nina asked in anguish.
“I don't know, Nina, but something will occur to me.”
A security guard from the terminal suddenly entered the room, and again they were alarmed, but he only warned them they had to leave because he had to close the terminal until the next bus arrived. They carried the backpacks, the guitars, and moments late,r they ware on a desolate avenue on the outskirts of the town.
“What do we do now?”
“Good the question, I wish I could answer it! If we could call a taxi...”
“And where do we tell him to take us?”
“There may be movement in the center, and some pub is still open.”
“It wouldn't hurt, because I'm getting hungry.”
“Are you rested for walking? We cannot stay here, we have to go downtown, and there is no other way than to walk.”
“Okay, Nano, I hope it's not too far.”
They walked for more than half an hour, but they didn't get anywhere that could be the center, and all the bars and restaurants were already closed. Nina was exhausted. Suddenly, they found themselves on a spacious and well-kept promenade protected by a retaining wall against the rise of the storms' tides or the sound waves. Along the promenade, there were luxurious summer houses. Most of them seemed unoccupied; only two of them showed signs that they were inhabited.
One of them, already at the end of the walk, was profusely illuminated, and the sound of music from the latest commercial songs of the moment arrived.
“They must have had a party. If we get closer, they will believe that we are part of it, and we can rest on the beach.”
The luxurious home's spacious garden was lavishly lit with Chinese lanterns, and a group of children and teenagers dressed in nightwear held a pajama-party.
“They seem to have fun,” Nina commented, remembering the ones she had attended. “I wish I could be at that party instead of running away and hiding like we were criminals.”
They entered the beach on the other side of the promenade and dropped exhausted on the warm sand.
“I can not take one more step,” lamented Nina. “We stay here, no matter what!”
“I think we can rest here safely; nobody will think that we are not part of the party.”
The night was warm, but a cool breeze wiped the sweat from their foreheads because they wore too warm clothes. The glow of the Chinese lanterns dimly lit the sand on the beach, but they couldn't make out the seashore, only the monotonous sound of the waves hitting them as they broke through the sand.
“I have never slept on a beach, but now that I am here, I feel it is beautiful to fall asleep looking at the stars,” Nina commented, “even if they are barely seen. It is a wonderful feeling of freedom. When all this happens, and we are not running away from anyone, we will return to these beaches and sleep on the sand on clear nights, and the stars are visible, right, Nano?”
“I want to sing, now I feel good. Take out your guitar and come with me.”
Nina seemed to feel magically transported to a starry sky suspended in space. That sublime show deeply motivated her and hummed some musical phrases from an impromptu song:
When you are by my side,
the stars seem to laugh,
the moon seems to dream,
the sea seems to sing.
When you are next to me,
the wind seems to play,
the sun seems to kiss
the sky, it seems to caress.»
When he finished, the applause came from the walk, and a middle-aged woman, also dressed in a nightgown, approached them and commented enthusiastically:
“Bravo, bravo, beautiful song!”
They were alarmed, but the woman reassured them.
“Do not panic; I am the mother of children who celebrate the pajamas-party. I went out because there is too much fuss in there. But who are you and what are you doing here? But don't tell me because I can guess! How long have you escaped from your h
“We don't ...!” Nina wanted to protest, but the woman cut him off.
“Do not fear, I will not denounce you. I know you escaped because the song was overflowing with nostalgia; that's why I loved it. You remind me of myself. I ran away from home too, and I had a moral reason, as surely you will. As adults, we forgot when we were teenagers and innocent, and we didn't understand their corrupt world. My parents constantly quarreled because of disagreements with money. They were rich, but my mother wasted money on her quirky whims. I couldn't take it anymore, and I ran away from home, but I was not as lucky as you, girl, I ran away alone, and my adventure did not last even 24 hours. They found me crying on a park bench and returned me to my home. Adults did not understand my reasons. My parents seemed very affected, but a week later, they were fighting again. It was a relief that they divorced. Is something similar happening to you? But, let's stop talking and come to the party, I want you to sing for the children, and then you can stay to sleep at my house, but tomorrow you have to continue on your way, and you haven't met me, all right, children? But what is your name, because I suppose you dislike to be called children, although for me you still are.”
“My name is Nina, and I'm almost 16 years old,” Nina replied.
“I'm Fernando, although everyone calls me Nano, I will soon be 18 years old.
“What a curious coincidence: Nina and Nano. A perfect name for a duo! My name is Sofía, although my children simply call me “Sofi.”
Nina and Nano gathered their backpacks and entered the house's large garden before the children's curious gaze who participated in the party.
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