My weirdest story

Dear future historian,

 

In my bucket list I 'had to' be somewhere ancient in 2000 New Year’s Eve. Somewhere historically interesting. I had been in Athens a gazillion times, so I thought to go to Rome, since the Pyramids were too expensive. Having a limited budget, I went with a private coach company, with a very financially attractive package. It was supposed we'd do an Italy tour, and spent New Year’s Eve in Rome.

After the trip started, in the bus, they announced that we'd do the circle of Italy the opposite way, go to Rome some days before, and spent New Year’s Eve in Modena.

I've never even heard of Modena before, so I was very upset with myself that I didn't read the small letters. How could they do that to us? My Thessaloniki, the city I was born, raised and living (then) was much more suitable for my popular-ancient-city-2000-New-year's-Eve-bucket-list-thing. What was I even doing in that bus? Just a 18,5-year-old girl, that can’t even read, apparently! Surly all these grownups around me knew what they were getting in (I was the youngest and the only one without someone with me.)

No one knew what they were getting in! It turned out, no one had noticed the small letters. People started fighting with the driver and the tour guide. Everyone was shouting. At the end the tour mate said something like ‘What did you expect with 100.000 drachmas (300 euros,) 5 days, bed and breakfast?’ (That was cheap for the time.)

This comment made everyone stop, for some reason, but the atmosphere was very intense. I had not participate in the debate, but after some thought, and in the awkward silence, I announced that I will take the train and go to Rome by myself, if they don’t change the plan, and anyone really interested to spend New Year’s Eve in Rome should come with me.

Everyone started laughing, as if I had said the funniest thing ever! They thought, it seemed, it was so funny, that it was like they forgot their disagreement and how mad they were. (Don’t ask me to explain people, I am autistic, and I really don’t understand stuff like that, at all.)

So, the days past, we went to Naples, Pompei, and soon we were in Rome. In Fontana di Trevi, my coin wished I will have the beginning of the new Millenia in Rome (I could not google -2000 had no smartphones- the train ticket price and I was not sure that I could even afford a ticket. I had to follow the tour for two more nights, because I had a payed hotel with them. So -after a stupid tour just around (!) the Colosseum (the tour guy pretended to be surprised that when we got there it was too late and they were closed,) and a small walk around- we got back in the bus, on our way to Florence, and then Modena.

Someone asked me why I didn’t stay in Rome, since I want to be there so much for the millennium, and when I answered that I can’t afford to stay there but I’ll take the train from Florence, people started laughing again.

‘What if I can’t afford the ticket?’ I thought. ‘I’ll hitchhike, or something.’

Florence. What an amazing, magical place. But I didn’t get to see much. I left the bus, I didn’t go to Venice with them (Venice is for couples, I thought, anyway. Too romantic to be alone.) I went to the train station and got a ticket to Rome. For some reason, everyone on the bus was really surprised, when I left. Like if I wasn’t telling them I will, for the last 4 days. Anyway.

Me on the train. I just gave for the tickets almost all my money, I had less than 5 euros (equivalent,) and 1,5 more days of travelling. The plan was that I would meet the bus in Ancona, on their way back to Greece.

In the train I met some very sweet people, that I remember nothing about, except that they didn’t speak English, and when I gave up trying to communicate in English, and just started speaking in Greek and instinctive sign language, we finally managed to communicate, somehow. Them in Italian, me in Greek, all of us in.. ‘human-universal-language.’ They gave me a Coca cola, I.. I had nothing to give, but at least one day I’d write about them, I thought.

At some point we arrived in the Eternal City. It looked like the Fontana di Trevi coin wish had worked. I wandered around the city, following the crowds to the unknown. I didn’t have enough money to go indoors. So, I got a snack with my last money, and kept walking. I reached a piazza, with tones of people, and an open stage with some TV people. With them I could have the New Year’s Eve count down and some sense of.. not being alone.

9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 …. 2000! And the world didn’t even end (some thought it would then, or at least some expected the computer systems to collapse.) Songs, Italian something, by the TV people. The crowd kissing each other. It was a bit agoraphobic, but it was nice. At around 2am, everything stopped, packed their stuff and left!!

What a culture shock that was for a Greek 18,5 year old, that had not idea that only in Greece a night out is.. all night!

What was I supposed to do now? Even the bars were closed!! I could just gen in one, to warm up a bit, but.. nothing.

My train was at around 6:30am. What was I supposed to do all night out in the cold?

I asked someone where the train station is. It had happend to me a few times to be late for something, because I had so much free time before it, that I got totally distracted, trying to occupy myself in the waiting.

At the train station there was a bunch of people, like me. Waiting for the morning train, with no where to go. But the station was closed. So, we all waited outside, in the freezing winter night (I hate cold.)

At around 4 am, they opened the station and the trains, just for the people to not freeze to death. I went to my wagon. I was the only one there, so I tried to catch some sleep. I was so hungry and cold and tiered, and I had a long day tomorrow.

As soon as I relaxed, I started trembling. Shivering. But there was nothing I could do, and at some point, I fell asleep, still trembling.

About a quarter latter someone entered the empty train. I woke up, but only opened my eyes just enough to see, still looking asleep. I was too exhausted to do anything, so I tried to sleep again. shivering, shivering, shivering. Five min latter, the guy moved to the seat opposite of me. On an empty train he just came right in front of me!

Oups! What do I do know? When is the right time to run out screaming? Trying to decide what to do, with the little strength I had left, and my eyes still almost closed, I felt him touching my shoes and lifting my leg!

Now what? Calculating the distance to the door. He was closer to the door. Freeze or flee (I had no chance in fighting him?)

As I was thinking what to do, he was taking my shoes of and then my socks.

What on Earth is he doing?

He started rubbing my frozen foot!

What?

I did a reality check.

Crazy, crazy, crazy.. but I noticed that I wasn’t actually feeling being attacked! What if he just saw me trembling, and thought to help?

He kept rubbing my foot, till I stopped trampling, then put my sock and shoe back on. Then he took my other leg on him, and repeated the.. what was that? What was he? Was he real? Or just a dream? I was too cold to actually be sleep. Too cold to be dreaming, I suppose.

As he was rubbing the second foot, I think I actually fell asleep. Maybe I could talk with him in the morning.

I woke up some hours later. But he wasn’t there anymore.

And that there, was maybe my weirdest encounter ever.

When I arrived at Modena in the morning, having no money to go anywhere, I went to the port to wait for the evening boat and the bus people, to go back to Thessaloniki. It was so cold, and I waited in a phone booth all day, trying to understand, what had happened the night before.

There, in the phone booth, I decided that if I ever find a way to travel in time.. that night, that train, will be my first stop. I really have to actually meet that guy. My guardian Roman angel.

But then, in that phone booth, that was not bigger on the inside (Doctor who reference,) I thought.. ‘what if I will find a way to travel in time, a Tardis or something (more Doctor who reference. Dear future historian, you must watch the Doctor. I love him/her) but I come to that moment, and I find out that there is no guy, just me trembling, and after I wait and wait for him to come, I realise that -as in Harry Potter waiting for his dad to save him-* it is only me. And then I start rubbing my foots. What if I was wrong thinking it was a male? Or maybe it was the Doctor, traveling with me (where am I then? Hmmmm. Complicated.)

Nevertheless, at some point the evening arrived, the boat arrived, my bus people arrived, and I had to listen to them complaining how boring Modena was, and how much they regret not coming with me. (Again.. I just don’t get people.)

 

Maybe one day I’ll find who saved me that night from freezing to death. Maybe I won’t. Maybe you, my dear future historian, will find a 2000 journal of someone, one day, that will say that he met a girl that was trembling, and how he saved her. Either way.. history should know that.. sometimes.. people help each other, without even asking anything in return.

P.S. I was thinking to write an amazing epilogue.. and try to explain human nature, but now.. I am so so sleepy. (Again, I was late posting. I am thinking to be realistic and work in… American timeline. ;-p (I am so so sleepy.) 

Stay safe and take care.

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlxxWFENWr8&t=15s

(The photo is not really from that trip, but I didn't find anything better, since I didn't have a camera then! There is another idea of what to do if I time travel there. Give me a camera.)