Once in a little town far far away, there lived a little boy. Every year, some merchants visited the town, bringing with them stories of distant lands. The child’s eyes glittered at those stories. And he dreamt that when he got older, he would travel around the world.
He grew up. Despite all the hardship of life, the boy kept the burning dream of his childhood alive. He became a traveler. He journeyed long and far away, visiting the most exotic places. Life was never boring, every day, he discovered new wonders of life.
One day, the traveler passed by a small village. There he met a girl, who was as beautiful as the morning rose, finer than wine and sweeter than honey. He fell in love at first sight. He put aside his travel, and lived with the girl for a while. But his soul was of a wandering spirit. So one morning, he got up early, packed some necessities and left the village.
They said the girl never left the house after that day. She kept everything the same, as if her love had always been there.
Time stood still in her house. The gate had never been closed since, so that he could come back anytime. In the kitchen laid the rotten breakfast that she prepared before realizing he had not just gone out for a walk. Every night, she lit up a lantern to guide her lovers to the right house.
The villagers felt sad for her. But time flew by, they were busy with their own lives.
The traveler visited more and more fascinating places. Wherever he visited, he was welcomed as a storyteller, because he knew the most exciting stories. Children adored him, adults saw him as the dream they once had.
One day, a young girl with eyes as blue and clear as the sky asked him, “Oh, Mr. Traveler, of all the places you have visited, which is the most beautiful?”
The traveler thought for a while, and suddenly, tears rolled down his handsome face.
After all those years, it was the first time the traveler longed for a home. The small house with the girl as beautiful as the morning rose, finer than wine and sweeter than honey. So he journeyed back. Deep in his heart, there was always a feeling of foolishness. The girl would have moved on. She could have got married and had children of her own. Still, he knew that he must come back and see her for one last time.
It was almost dawn when he saw the old gate. And there he stood, puzzling. Everything in the village had changed. But the house seemed the same. Hadn’t the house looked more aged and a bit ruined the traveler would have thought that he had just left, not for years, but hours.
He knocked at the door, but no one answered. After some hesitation, he pushed the door slightly, it was not locked.
Time seemed frozen inside the house. The air was cold and almost cutting into his skin. It felt as if no human soul had been here for a long time. A feeling of hopelessness engulfed him. He hurried to the bedroom, and the first time since he entered the house, he felt relieved.
There lied his love, almost the same as the last time he saw her.
As the sun rose, the traveler stood still in the corner of the room, his eyes fixated on the only reason then for his existence.
From that day on, never had he gone on any journey. The world was still as vast as ever, but he had reached his destination.