New born
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(open the audio file in a new tab to listen to the song while reading)
The next day.
Late evening.
Noah is with other people at the bus stop. The bus arrives and stops in front of them for a few seconds. Then the doors close and it resumes its journey.
He has not got on. He is still standing at the bus stop. He is left alone.
Tonight he has decided to return home by changing his route.
For a few moments he stands still, watching the apathetic behaviour of the passers-by. He is reflective.
He starts to walk. He walks for quite a while, slowly, observing the world around him. He observes the traffic, the twilight of the sky, he observes the buildings and the colourful signs of the clubs. He feels shy movements emerge in his gut, of wonder and amazement, as if seeing the world for the first time. As if he is about to be born again.
He descends the stairs of the underground subway and stops at a drinks machine to buy a bottle of water. He is about to put the coins in the slot when he notices a homeless man sitting on the ground next to the machine. He withdraws his coins and gives them to the man. The man bows his head in gratitude.
"So you want to escape from reality." whispers the homeless man with a low head. Then he looks up at Noah and asks, "But this, is this your reality?"
Noah remains silent before the man. With a questioning expression he scrutinises him without saying a word, trying to figure out if he is talking to him.
The homeless man, still sitting on the ground, rests his head slowly against the wall, closes his eyes and whispers: "How beautiful the silence, how beautiful the darkness."
The underground doors open. Noah gets off the vehicle with other citizens. He climbs the stairs calmly in stark contrast to the brisk gait of everyone else. He exits the subway and continues to walk along the city, where on the sides of the street the glittering shop windows are fading and the shutters are coming down.
He has finally arrived home and opens the door. Gentle 1930s swing music directs him into the living room. Opal is in this room, pretty asleep on the sofa. The music comes from the switched-on TV and accompanies the images of a documentary on the evolution of the caterpillar into a butterfly.
The TV voice-over explains:
"During its growth, the caterpillar has to perform a series of molts, after which it transforms into a chrysalis, enclosing itself in a hard, leathery cocoon in which it will undergo a series of transformations until it becomes a butterfly."
Noah watches Opal sleep and advances a hand to her. He withdraws it doubtfully. Then again he moves closer and brushes her hair with his fingers. He lingers for a few seconds, observing her. And for the first time in a long time he smiles.
[voice-over on TV].
"When the environmental conditions and especially the temperature are optimal, the covering of the chrysalis begins to break allowing the adult butterfly to emerge."
He turns off the television. Silence remains.
Late evening.
Noah is with other people at the bus stop. The bus arrives and stops in front of them for a few seconds. Then the doors close and it resumes its journey.
He has not got on. He is still standing at the bus stop. He is left alone.
Tonight he has decided to return home by changing his route.
For a few moments he stands still, watching the apathetic behaviour of the passers-by. He is reflective.
He starts to walk. He walks for quite a while, slowly, observing the world around him. He observes the traffic, the twilight of the sky, he observes the buildings and the colourful signs of the clubs. He feels shy movements emerge in his gut, of wonder and amazement, as if seeing the world for the first time. As if he is about to be born again.
He descends the stairs of the underground subway and stops at a drinks machine to buy a bottle of water. He is about to put the coins in the slot when he notices a homeless man sitting on the ground next to the machine. He withdraws his coins and gives them to the man. The man bows his head in gratitude.
"So you want to escape from reality." whispers the homeless man with a low head. Then he looks up at Noah and asks, "But this, is this your reality?"
Noah remains silent before the man. With a questioning expression he scrutinises him without saying a word, trying to figure out if he is talking to him.
The homeless man, still sitting on the ground, rests his head slowly against the wall, closes his eyes and whispers: "How beautiful the silence, how beautiful the darkness."
The underground doors open. Noah gets off the vehicle with other citizens. He climbs the stairs calmly in stark contrast to the brisk gait of everyone else. He exits the subway and continues to walk along the city, where on the sides of the street the glittering shop windows are fading and the shutters are coming down.
He has finally arrived home and opens the door. Gentle 1930s swing music directs him into the living room. Opal is in this room, pretty asleep on the sofa. The music comes from the switched-on TV and accompanies the images of a documentary on the evolution of the caterpillar into a butterfly.
The TV voice-over explains:
"During its growth, the caterpillar has to perform a series of molts, after which it transforms into a chrysalis, enclosing itself in a hard, leathery cocoon in which it will undergo a series of transformations until it becomes a butterfly."
Noah watches Opal sleep and advances a hand to her. He withdraws it doubtfully. Then again he moves closer and brushes her hair with his fingers. He lingers for a few seconds, observing her. And for the first time in a long time he smiles.
[voice-over on TV].
"When the environmental conditions and especially the temperature are optimal, the covering of the chrysalis begins to break allowing the adult butterfly to emerge."
He turns off the television. Silence remains.