Spring was already knocking at the door and the water in the Elk River was bringing a sign of peace after a hard winter. The water flowed in a peaceful current, and the roar at times reminded one of words or prophecies of the coming summer. Jonah of 12th Avenue gazed boredly out the window, disgusted with his lonely life. Outside his living room window, the sun was illuminating him. He'd been living all alone for more than a decade now, and he wasn't doing well in his love life either. Despite being a manager in the computer import business from Vancouver and being able to afford a lavish life with his salary, he hasn't had the opportunity to meet the woman who would make him happy in life and conjure up a home for him that only a woman's soul can make. Jonah is a tall man of stocky build, with dark hair and the face of a pained child. He is an unfortunate man who has spent the next winter alone in his house by the Christmas tree. From time to time he even thought that perhaps it was better to die than to live alone in such emptiness. Occasionally he would go to his favorite Boston pizza place for an incredibly delicious pizza. As he sat at his table, he looked around and it really didn't make him feel good to see happy-looking couples in love around him. It made his heart ache more than it should have. A man in his forties without a woman, without love, really didn't have the prospect of pleasant evenings and restful sleep. The nights are heavy and sleepless. The only relationship he's had in his life was with Shelly from 7th Avenue. Shelly, a religious woman, ended her relationship with Jonah after three years. She was not comfortable with his frequent lust for lovemaking and his various experiments in that area. Shelly, with her voluminous hair pulled up and always dressed in black, really wasn't cut out for the kind of lifestyle Jonah preferred. They met at Yamagoya restaurant during a business meeting and lunch at the same time. A spark jumped between them and they pulled it off together for three years. Today, Shelly is already married to a like-minded man like her, who also walks around in mostly black clothing.
Jonah went to Anex Park near Elk River first thing Sunday afternoon. As summer approached, his interest in being outdoors to enjoy the warmer days increased, so every Sunday he would go for a walk and sort out his thoughts at this popular park. It was a sunny afternoon and families with children and other lonely wanderers were strolling through the park going about their lives. After half an hour of walking, he sat down on a bench and contemplated what to do next with his life. Then, as if a woman's voice echoed clearly in his head or near his head, "Near the river!" He looked around frantically, searching everywhere for the originator of the voice. But he could see no one in the vicinity. He did not understand what it meant. Perhaps he was really beginning to go mad from his loneliness and was already hallucinating? Then the same voice echoed in his head again, "Near the river," he repeated. Jonah had no idea what to do with his increasing nervousness. He looked around again. Restless and even angry with himself, he decided that he'd better head towards the river and get rid of his escalating madness. So he stood up and made his way across the park. He made his way towards the water, but at the end of the park he noticed a strange tree that he had never seen there before. The tree had beautiful white and pink flowers... their petals were strewn here and there on the ground. He gazed in awe at the magnificent tree and marveled at the play of colors of this wonder. From the ground he picked up a few pink and white petals and examined them in his palm. Then he put them away in his small bag, which he often carried over his shoulder. He walked on, heading for the water. When he reached the river, he stopped and looked around. He saw no one, so he sat down on the bank. He watched the water as it rolled and felt its roar. It was being transformed into words. Jonah focused his attention, listened - indeed, the roar of the water reminded him of some human words, but gradually he began to recognize whole sentences, and sometimes whole conversations - out of nowhere. He pondered eagerly: Maybe it was all happening only in his head? Or did he have a special ability to hear and perhaps see things other people couldn't? This time he could also clearly hear a mysterious female voice calling from nearby. Maybe it really is just a hallucination, because he can't see anyone anywhere, Jonah wondered. He sat, looking out at the water, and over and over again the woman's voice echoed, repeating the words: "By the river... By the river..." After a long moment, he picked himself up and walked back to the park again. He walked slowly through it, listening to the woman's voice, which was already echoing repeatedly as if in his head. When he was tired of it, he made his way to his house. Another day of loneliness, emptiness, but also hope and anticipation. But to no avail. In front of the TV in the evening, he stared dully at the bottom of the screen, not paying any attention to the program that was running on it. Around eleven o'clock in the evening, fatigue broke him and he fell asleep right on the couch. He jerked out of sleep only once during the night, when an unfamiliar female voice repeated that strange phrase to him again, "By the river."
It was a Monday morning, and in Jonahs' office the phones had been ringing since early in the morning, and various faxes had been coming in from companies that make various components and accessories for computers and other technology as well. Everything was business-like and every day was the same as the day before. Until Friday came and Jonah was not at all excited about what he was going to do again over the weekend. If he was going to be like the previous ones again, he was probably going to pass out on sanity.
Around five o'clock in the afternoon, a woman's voice echoed in his head again, mentioning the river. It's incomprehensible, what does it actually mean? After dinner, Jonah went to his favorite park again. Along the way he met a few neighbors and acquaintances. They exchanged a few nonsensical or mostly formal sentences and then he continued on his way to his favorite bench. It was very warm indeed, so when he sat down on the bench, he closed his eyes and set his face to the treetops. The leaves rustled pleasantly in their tops in the light breeze. At some point, a woman's voice broke through the noise, and Jonah heard it quite clearly. He jerked away and looked around. He didn't see anyone. This is really getting crazy, he thought, and then stood up. Without thinking, he headed for Elk River again like he had last week. He walked at a slow pace, nearing the end of the park. In the distance he saw the magnificent tree again. The magnolia beckoned with its impressive appearance. The pink and white petals accentuated its beauty and set it apart from the other trees in the entire surrounding area of the park. As Jonah approached the magnolia, he noticed a woman standing near it, looking up at the flowers at the height of the tree's crown. Unmoved, she fixed her gaze on the top of the magnolia. She was of medium height and of full stature. She had her black hair styled and lifted into a hairstyle that was commonly seen in movies in the 1930s. She was dressed in a blue dress of a light bold colour and with a plunging neckline. He realized that she was a very pretty woman, indeed, a very well endowed woman as well. When she registered Jonah's proximity, continuing to stand to the side of him, she merely turned her face and sized him up. He remained immediately taken aback. Her beautiful, limpid, light green eyes were so captivating, so strange, that he probably had never seen such a thing in his life... or, indeed, he had certainly never met a man with such eyes. She was like a woman with cat eyes, not human eyes. Strange that she wasn't at all surprised by his presence, or even by the way he was looking at her. She looked directly into Jonah's eyes and said:
"This spring is different. Beautiful and full of fulfilled desires. This beautiful tree tells us the news. Tell me, are you happy?"
Jonah looked at the woman uncomprehendingly and could only manage a single word: "I don't understand."
The woman giggled and stroked the hair on the left side of her head.
"That really doesn't surprise me at all, Jonah."
Jonah raised an eyebrow and his eyes widened. He didn't hide his surprise.
"How do you know my name?!" He asked the woman more quietly, looking down at his hands as he did so, occasionally glancing hesitantly at her as well.
"I've known your name for a very long time. Are you wondering, Jonah?"
She gazed at Jonah with a quizzical look. Slowly, she bent down and picked up a few pink and white petals from the ground. She offered them to Jonah and he took them in his hands. He stared at the colorful beauty in puzzlement, wondering why the unknown woman had given them to him.
"Who exactly are you... and what's your name?" Jonah stood unmoved, watching the woman's face as she asked such questions. But he got no nonverbal response. The woman put her petals away in a small silver purse that she had slung unobtrusively over her right shoulder. Then she took a step toward Jonah and squeezed both of his palms.
"Look, these petals you have in your hand are love. Maybe one day you will understand and remember. Come on, let's go for a walk."
She pressed herself against Jonah and grasped his right hand. They walked through the park as husband and wife who had been together for over twenty years. Then, without a word, they headed for the banks of the Elk River, too. They stopped and stared at the water in silence for a while. Suddenly the woman looked at Jonah and introduced herself to him pleasantly:
"My name is Olivia. Olivia X." She pressed even closer to him, gripped his hand tighter, and fell silent. Jonah somehow sensed her overly affection, but didn't understand why she was showing it towards him. Because he no longer hoped, no longer believed, that this would ever actually happen to him in his life. And that a beautiful woman such as this one with the cat's eyes would be interested in him on top of that. He accepted her unexpected closeness, even if he was a little taken aback by it. They stood like that for a while, snuggled and holding each other, and then they went to the park again. They found a vacant bench, which they both sat down on. They began to talk together about the ordinary things of life and Jonah's empty, unfulfilled days. Jonah's acquaintances walked past them and some even noticed Jonah, but they didn't stop, just said a fleeting hello. They obviously didn't want to disturb the conversing pair of young people. Jonah was smitten with his new acquaintance and didn't hide his feelings:
"Olivia, you have such beautiful eyes that you scare me. To what do I owe this chance meeting with you today?"
Olivia giggled sweetly, leaned over to her companion and asked, "You think that random? Coincidences don't exist in this world."
Jonah was a little nervous at her reaction.
"You keep answering me in some riddles. I don't understand you at all, but I accept it and I'm very glad I met you today. I got these magnolia petals from you and to remind me of you forever and also of this wonderful day when I met you, I'm going to have them pressed in an old book at home. Then I'll put them on the shelf above my TV so I can see them whenever I want."
Olivia thought for a moment and sighed heavily:
"You make it sound like this day is the last and tomorrow the world will end. Do you think you won't see me again? Or would you like to see me tomorrow too?"
Jonah rolled his eyes at Olivia and straightened his back after sitting on the bench for so long.
"Well, of course. I want to and very much. I really like you a lot and I want to meet you again."
Olivia slowly stood up and took Jonah's hand.
"Come on, walk me out of the park and then you can go on your way. I'll be here in the park every Friday just like I am today. I'll always be waiting for you at five o'clock. Can it be so? Is that all right with you?"
"Well, of course it does. I'll be glad to come and I'll be very glad to see you again."
So the two of them, holding hands, walked through the park, occasionally glancing at each other without saying a word. When they reached the last bench at the end of the park, they said goodbye. Then Jonah crossed the main road, but turned back, wanting to catch a glimpse of the departing Olivia. But try as he might, scanning the expanse beyond the road, drawing his attention to the blue of her dress, he couldn't find her anywhere. It was strange that she had completely disappeared from sight, that she had vanished so quickly and unobtrusively. He kept repeating in his head: next Friday... But that was still a long way off. It will be a very long wait. He walked slowly to his house. The neighbours next door were very noisy again, the music was playing at full blast and there were occasional nonsensical shouts. He entered his apartment, walked into the kitchen and sat down on a chair. He thought about how empty life is when a man comes home and no one is there waiting for him. The loneliness kills. It kills a man's soul and feelings. The emptiness, which benefits no one, only deepens the depression. You can't live like this forever. Maybe it's time for a change.
On Monday morning, Jonah had a hard time waking up, but he had to get up early. Still in his tired mind, he was piecing together what all was in store for him. Today he would have a trip outside of Fernie. He has to go to Calgary to sign another contract to supply computer components for the company. A business trip. He managed to pour his morning coffee and didn't dwell on anything else. In the car, he put on his favourite songs and hit the road. He remembered yesterday's moments in the park and Olivia. He replayed in his head the situations that had taken place at the magnolia. He wondered what the significance of the tree was and what the connection between Olivia and him was. After two o'clock in the afternoon, he was already sitting in the office of the shipping company, discussing the supply of suitable components for the company in Fernia. The negotiation went as it should have, and then he went to the nearest restaurant for a belated lunch. He sat down at a table in a fancy restaurant in the town square and ordered some spicy soup. For his second course, he had fried cheese and fries. As he ate his lunch, he took note of the people around him. He was the only man sitting alone at the table. Again, distress washed over him and he immediately thought of Olivia. Of the mysterious woman from the park who had paid so much attention to him. If only she were here with him and he didn't feel so alone and abandoned.
Jonah tried to distract himself from thoughts of Olivia and focused on the food in front of him. He tried to enjoy his favorite fried cheese, but thoughts of Olivia kept running through his head. Suddenly, an image of Olivia sitting by a magnolia tree, holding a small flower in her hand, appeared in his mind. He felt the urge to leave the restaurant and go see the place. After a while, however, he decided that this was not a good idea and that he should go back to work.
When he returned to the office, he found that he had received several unanswered calls on his cell phone from a customer in Fernie. He immediately tried to call back, but no one picked up. Since this was very important business for his company, it made Jonah nervous. He tried calling the customer a few more times, but still without success. He decided that he would go back on the road and that he would try to deal with the situation in person.
As he walked along, the image of Olivia sitting by the magnolia tree with a smile on her face came back to him. He felt that he had to go and look at her, and that he had to find out what connection there was between her and the tree. However, in spite of the strong urge to reveal the secret, he decided that he must first solve his work problems and then he could attend to his personal interests.
When he finally arrived at the company in Fernie, he discovered that he had failed to sign the contract and that the customer had opted for a competitor. He was despairing that he had become something of a failing element for his company. A chill ran through his body and he felt his self-esteem slipping. He decided that he needed to get rid of such negative thoughts as quickly as possible and focus on something positive.
Jonah decided to take the evening off and visit a local bar. He felt the need to overcome his loneliness and maybe have a little fun. So, after finishing his business, he returned to the hotel, changed into more casual clothes, and went to a bar on the other side of town. On the way, he again pondered the mysterious events of the previous day, discussing it, trying to make sense of it, but the more he tried to find a rational explanation, the more he reached an impasse.
When he arrived at the bar, he found that it was a place where the local youth and people who would like to have a good time meet. He felt a little insecure as he sat down on a bar seat and ordered a beer. After a while, however, he managed to strike up a conversation with the bartender and some of the other customers. He tried to forget about his problems and enjoy the evening.
After a few hours in the bar, he realized it was time to go to bed. So he went back to the hotel to get some rest. Back in his room, he was still checking his and figured out that his phone had picked up a few calls and messages during the evening. One of them was from an unknown number. He had no idea who might be calling him and was considering whether to respond. He decided to reconsider. He lay down early and fell fast asleep.
A few hours later he woke up with a strange feeling. He had a dream about a magnolia in the park, but this time everything was different. In his dream, although there was Olivia standing next to the magnolia looking at him, she was different. Her eyes were changing color, her figure was distorted. Jonah was a little frightened, whereupon he woke up. Feeling confused, he decided to go back to the park the next day and try to find out more about this strange tree and its connection to Olivia.
Jonah found himself in a strange frame of mind. He was having strange feelings that he hadn't experienced before. Different thoughts mingled in his mind with his conflicting emotions. On the one hand, he was thrilled to have met Olivia and to have spent the evening with her. But on the other hand, he was unsure if he really liked Olivia and if they were attracted to each other. In his mind, he played out different scenarios of how things could continue between them, but that made him uneasy.
After lunch, Jonah returned to his office and resumed his work. But with every break, he realized that he would have loved to talk to someone, that he needed someone with whom he could exchange thoughts and feelings. So he returned to his desk and decided to write Olivia a message. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on what he wanted to write to her. After a moment, however, the feeling came over him that it would be inappropriate, that he would be dragging himself down unnecessarily by expressing himself, and that Olivia might be put off by it.
So he decided to go for a walk around the city. He walked along the streets, watching people and noticing their movements and body language, trying to get a feel for what they were doing, what they were thinking about. It was like watching a strange kind of theater, where everyone was playing a part, but Jonah couldn't tell for sure if the part was sincere or just a presentation. He slowly made his way to the river and settled on a bench by the bank. He could hear the roar of the water and watched the waves flowing by.
Jonah realized that this walk had helped him get rid of his conflicting thoughts and calm down. He tried to focus on the present moment and take in the beauty around him. He looked at the birds flying over the river and listened to the sounds of nature. It was like a little refuge from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
After a while, he decided to go back to work and continue working. He took with him from his walk a new spirit and determination to tackle whatever came his way. He felt braver and stronger than before. He realized that sometimes all it takes is one little break from everything to be able to let go of one's fears and gain a new perspective.
Returning to his desk, he received an important message from his colleague and realised that he still had a lot of work to do. But this time, he was determined to look at it differently - with a sense that he could get it done. He resolved to take another walk at the end of the day and try to be in the present moment and take in the beauty around him. This would be a new routine he wanted to incorporate into his daily life, one that would help make him more productive and also help him cope with his feelings.