The journeyman

There were three shapes below the trees. Two of them looked human, the third was yet so far away I couldn't quite make out what it was. But it seemed obvious that those who arrived first didn't know who – or what – was coming. I wanted to warn them, but of course I couldn't. It would have been really stupid too.

By sunrise they were so close I couldn't see them anymore. The humans, that is. The third one was still so far away I could just make him out. At least I thought it was a he. Human he was not, that was certain, but I was used to that by then. I lay down to sleep.

"Wyuilipek!" resounded over the treetops. I had overslept again, of course, but the glade was moonlit and everybody was there. None of us spoke, but I was made aware that the human­shaped were gone. There were so many things said about the third one that I realised I was the only one who had seen him. I was left with a not altogether pleasant sensation as it clouded over.

In all honesty, I must admit I wasn't afraid. Not even self-thoughtout stories of humans who were really far away could scare me at that moment. I sat up waiting, somehow I knew that it was there – and not least then – it would happen.

He appeared walking on top of the hill. I didn't recognise him, of course, which made it certain it was him. Since he didn't see me I closed my eyes and studied every movement he made. Painstakingly. As he passed me the clouds left the moon and followed him. I had had a premonition that would happen so I kept my eyes well closed the whole time.

A year later, when my eyes had been opened for good, there were noone else around. That's when I talked about all the things I hadn't seen. Noone heard, and naturally the amazement was even stronger. Some passers-by kept doing just that; and passed so close I only just missed them. Then another ten years passed.

Already nine years later I was ready for the majord decision, but my eyes had been opened such a long time ago I had to wait. (I've been doing just that since I was quite smalle – as small as any of us ever get – so I knew well how to do just that.) After waiting longer than anyone had asked me to I realised I had waited too long. That felt good.

The children of those who had first crawled under the trees were adults by then. The oldest had even had their eyes opened, quite without asking for it I presume, and most assuredly with their parents' blessing. There was nothing left to do but tell them all I hadn't seen. It was, after all, the only thing I had not been asked to do.

When I had finished the children had their own children, and my stories about the two that crawled was getting interesting as I mentioned the third. They immediately started to leave, but not without looking at me. The youngest ones spoke to me before they left. They said I had bored them. They said I hadn't been scared enough. And I knew that was correct. I knew the third one had been visible.

Afterwards, when it was all over, and the third generation's children were playing terrible games in the glade, they no longer spoke to me. It was a relief finally being able to take part in conversations just like them. I hadn't been quiet for as long as I could remember and needed the rest. I opened my eyes and concentrated on not seeing.

Before long I was totally blind. Then I saw him again – the third one – the one I hadn't seen properly before my eyes had been opened and he was gone long time ago. This time he came straight at me. He had a peculiar gait. The way he approached me – almost menacing – meant he hadn't seen me yet.

"Good evening" he said. I knew well that the sun had barely risen so I hardly condescended to grant him more than an answer. I said I had seen him before, that time when he had followed two human shapes and hadn't come closer to me. I told him more, about the next time I saw him, when my eyes had been opened and the others had spoken to me.

He continued the conversation with the invisible – he couldn't hear me as I was blind – and didn't look at me. Of course he didn't. Noone had looked at me since I was in my mother's womb, and even then only my brother had ventured to. He was inside there with me. I cursed the day he was born and I was left all alone inside.

Noone looked at me as I left that night, and I don't think anyone would have tried to stop me even if they had. I walked for quite a while before I decided the distance back was reassuring. The ones following me, and they were quite a few, were far from safe, though. They made me think of the humanlike shapes I had once seen. I cried myself to sleep that morning.

I didn't often show emotions, but had lately found it less and less hard, and here where there were noone around to see them, I was unusually sensitive. I felt things I had never felt before, and shortly felt a lot better than I had in a long time. I closed my eyes and saw nothing.

A short while after my emotional experience in my secret glade something extraordinary happened. The two human shapes arrived! That is, I couldn't be quite sure it was them, it had been a long time, and what were they doing here again? But these two looked like them. At least because they too were humanlike. They didn't see me.

From far away I could hear somebody move. It was the two who had come after me on the first night I had left. I could sense that the human shapes were in danger, but like most of their species they were quite unaware. I felt I ought to do something, and as I had after all these years learnt to trust my emotions I did just that. Something.

They have thanked me many times since. They have thanked me in person, and those close to them have thanked me. But just while I was helping them they seemed more scared than grateful. And when I had helped them enough; when they were out of danger, the ones who came after me seemed more dead than alive. I withdrew, but followed the human shapes at a distance. They looked back at me several times.

Some said later that it was I who had approached them, but the human shapes – worse; they were actually humans! – have always kept to my version of the story. They said it was they who had paused around a bend, and waited for me to catch up. None of us spoke, but it was still not entirely sad to travel with somebody. Besides, they often looked at me, like nobody had since my brother had left me.

Everywhere we went we were met by large swarms of people. Everybody looked at us, but I didn't notice if they looked more at me than at them, or if they looked at me differently. I took it to mean they didn't. It was nothing but curiosity on their behalf, my humans said. None of us were originally from these parts, so it was only natural they wanted to have a look. I let it pass.

The pressure from those curious didn't get any less as we closed in on the humans' home. More and more people came into the streets to meet us, soon there was a tail of people following us. We could hardly see eachother anymore in the crowd, but everytime I thought I'd lost them they found me. We still weren't talking, but understood eachother very well.

The journey was nearing its end. It hadn't been stated, at least not for my ears to hear, but I understood even so. My humans walked faster, smiled more than ever on our trip. I started to prepare for my return. I thought I would find the way back, and I had all the time saved up on provisions and marked places where I could find more.

The last leg of our journey went incredibly fast. The curious crowd couldn't follow us anymore, we walked away from everybody. We could see the silhouette of a village before the sun set. I lagged behind and planned to turn around. They wouldn't notice. Soon I was quite far behind them. Then I stopped completely.

In the end they must have noticed anyway, they turned around, they came running towards me. They asked me to come with them – they said so in simple words, and I didn't just hear it, I understood it. I walked on with them and this time all three of us smiled. We entered the gates while the moon rose above our heads. I knew I had walked far and further than far, and that now I was home.