"Joseph, what is wrong?" I asked, noticing a clear uneasiness in his blue eyes.
He pointed to the door and said, "Behind the gate, there's a man."
"A man?"
"I don't know. And he seems unconscious."
I immediately got up and headed towards the stairs.
"Skye, be careful, he can be dangerous. What if it's a trap?"
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I've heard that some people don't like you. And I'm sure some people want to hurt you."
I smirked and immediately heard the words, "You have not changed. You always make me worry about you."
Despite Joseph's worry, I went to the gate and the truth was, there was a man behind them.
"Be careful, it can be dangerous," Joseph said.
I opened the gate and approached the man.
He was a young man in a black shirt and simple jeans. He was holding a briefcase in his hands, and when I approached him, I saw his expression.
His eyes were closed tightly, causing small wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. The features of his face were aesthetic and following the lines of his thick eyebrows and flat nose line, I suddenly remembered those ancient sculptures of Greece.
"Is he alive?" Joseph whispered.
"Yes. We can't leave him here."
"We need to call an ambulance. We're not going to take him to the house!"
I touched his hand a little bit, and he suddenly started to slowly wake up.
Joseph bent over his face, and turning on the flashlight, began to look at him.
The young man opened his eyes slightly and froze.
I noticed that the color of his eyes was not that blue, not that green. Just like a galaxy.
And this curly hair which looked like the mane of a lion, swayed slightly from the light summer wind.
"Are you alright?" I asked, trying to lift him up.
He made an incomprehensible sound and then began to get back on his feet.
I helped him, and when he stood confidently on his two legs, Joseph asked, "What are you doing here?"
The young man, not looking at him, replied, "I have come to you."
"To me?"
"Yes. Professor Skyemoone, I read your book. And I have so many questions for you now."
"Boy, people have read this book for a long time! Have you just woken up?"
"Yes. I read the Chain Reaction for the first time," the young man replied, and immediately blushed.
"What are you doing here? And why were you lying unconscious here?"
"I followed you. And then I don't know why, but I suddenly felt weak."
"Go to the doctor. Why did you come here?! And what does that even mean, you've been following the Professor?"
"Joseph calm down," I said.
"Do you want to invite him into the house? What if he's dangerous?"
I looked at the young man and he looked somewhere ahead.
The expression on his face was a little frightened and agitated. I suddenly felt sorry for him.
And I said, "It's too late, you've come this way. Let's go to the house."
"What? Skye, do you really want to let him in?"
"He's still weak. And besides, I just can't do that. You know my conscience tortures me. What if something happened to him?"
"Sometimes your problem is that you're too kind."
I looked at a frightened man who might have been following me, and I said, "Come on. Don't stand here."
As it should be in this house, I took him to the library and as always, my grandfather asked, I asked him, "Would you like a cup of tea and a good book?"
He looked at me and the gleam in his eyes made me realize that he didn't need anything.
I sat down in front of him and looked around.
The library, too, hasn't changed a bit.
Same books and the same smell.
I was waiting for him to start talking, but noticing that he was clearly worried, said, "During this time I have seen a lot of strange things. But I think I'm wondering what you're doing here."
Raising his head and straightening his shoulders, he confidently said, "I'm sorry, but I've been following you. It's true. And the reason for that was that I really wanted to talk to you."
"Talk to me?"
"Yes. I've read your book and I have a lot of questions."
"In that case, you can start asking right now."
"You have written about dreams, about life. You have inspired me to become more confident and be able to carry freedom on my shoulders. And now, after your book, I have so many questions. But the truth is, I can't articulate these questions."
"Sometimes we think we have a lot of questions, and maybe sometimes we don't."
The young man thought about something and I said, "Now, there are a lot of opportunities in the world. If you want to fulfill a dream, it's very easy to do."
"Yes. But that's the problem. Don't you think that people won't understand this change?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, though I knew perfectly well what he meant.
"The world is full of possibilities. And Professor, I'm afraid a human can't stand it. Everyone is too happy."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm confused. You see, all this time, I've had some tough times. But now that I realized I could change my life, I suddenly felt scared. What if I'm not ready to live and dream freely?"
"So that's what's bothering you."
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Edelweiss," he said. "I know a strange name. But what can you do, I was born at the moment when my mother saw these flowers by the window."
I shook his hand and noticed a slight blush on his face again.
"What is your purpose in life?"
"I'm a poet."
"Do you want to write poetry, but at the same time you are afraid of the opportunities that everyone now has?"
"Perhaps. But I'm just confused. Professor, what do you think will happen to people after such change?"
"I know you're worried. But I can't answer that question. All we can do is look, draw conclusions."
He suddenly laughed. "I didn't know that you didn't care."
"What do I have to do? I am powerless compared to the world."
Edelweiss looked at me. I knew exactly what kind of man he was. No, he was not someone who could be afraid and doubt his every step. I saw him as a real dreamer.
And I said, "Tell me, you don't believe in all these changes? You don't believe what I wrote, do you?
He looked at his briefcase and said, "No. I don't believe that. I just don't believe that dreams can be so easily achieved."
"And you didn't apply to the Dreamer Fund?"
"No. Professor, I admire you, but I don't trust your book. I don't trust the fact that it's easy to start living and be happy."
"So, you think that a person can achieve everything on his or her own?"
"Yes. I may have suffered too long and now, have lost the ability to follow everyone and trust."
"People are rich, happy, they live their lives, and no one tells them what to do and what not to do. But you're the exception," I said and pondered. What if what he's saying is true?
"Professor, can I stay here? It is too late," he suddenly asked, looking out the window.
"Of course."
When I went downstairs, to the first floor, I was expecting him for dinner, but by then, he was already sleeping in the guest room.
And I didn't know then that Edelweiss was that beginning of the next change.
That night, I couldn't close my eyes again. And all because I thought too much.
Suddenly, I wanted to understand my own book, and to do it, I had to understand what my dream was.