Concealed in this world is a world known to few…
“Arrival at Bayview”
Since a long time I didn’t get the chance to go on a vacation due to busy life schedule. However, I am now glad that I am finally going on a solo trip to one of the peaceful place in the world that is Bayview. Bayview is a hill station and mountain resort town located in North of San Francisco. It is not very densely populated and the weather there is unpredictable. The most captivating thing about Bayview is the mountainous roads. I quickly locked my house and left for the airport. The weather here is sunny and the city is full of busy people rushing here and there. I am done being one of them and that is why I am escaping this city for a while. Sometimes it is good to just disappear for some time. After facing usual traffic jam I finally reached the airport. The flight took off without any delay. There were very few people in the flight approximately less than 50 who were headed towards Bayview. After a five hour long flight I finally arrived at Bayview. There a man in his late 40s came to pick me up. He was sent by the team who managed my stay in Bayview. They also booked a wonderful cottage for me on the mountain where there was a small town. The weather was windy and clouds covered the sky acting as a dark blanket on our heads. The locals were busy in their daily routine work but they were not in a rush. This is the trait that attract people like me here. When I was headed towards the cottage I gazed at the beautiful roads and examined the lifestyle of people. “Are you a local” ? I questioned the driver. “Yes I am” , he replied. “Your city is very beautiful and calm”, I commented. “Indeed it is. And the magical beings that live around makes it more beautiful. This city contains many secrets. Even after living for more than 40 years here I am unable to discover them” , he claimed. I was shocked for a moment but then, he smiled at me and I smiled back. “What magical beings” ? I questioned myself silently. “There is absolutely no need to be concerned” , he said smiling. His confidence assured me that everything is fine.
After a short while we reached the cottage. It was close to the Bayview Town and there were other homes nearby as well. In front of the cottage there was a narrow road and large trees covering the whole area as far as my eyes could see. The air was so fresh and welcoming that I felt as if I belong to this place. The driver stepped out and carried my luggage inside the cottage. Outside the cottage I met a lady who was in her late 40s as well. She was there as my helper. She greeted me with a warm smile and introduced herself. Her name was Aliha. “Hi! My name is Nida. Nice to meet you”, I replied. She took me in after our brief introduction. The cottage was made of material that resembled wood. There was a warm yellow lamp at the top of entrance door. I was captivated by the great work of architect as soon as I looked at the cottage. The little plants were dancing with the wind as if they were glad to welcome me as their guest. The door was made up of glass with wood design around and in between it . As I entered the cottage I was surprised by the interior work of the cottage. There was a fireplace and sofas were placed in front of it. The area looked great to just sit and think about life. Then, Aliha guided me to the room. The room was small but as expected it was also cozy. There was a wide window on the right side that allow light to penetrate and fall on the wooden floor which was brown and had a glossy surface. The window opened a portal to the magical world outside. Close to the room there was a kitchen that was also compact but contained everything that was required. “I really liked the cottage. It is great!”, I told Aliha. “I am glad you liked it. I placed every thing that you may need in the cottage, however, if you need anything you can just call me from telephone placed in your bedroom. I live close to the cottage. Now I will leave so that you can rest” , she responded smiling. I nodded and smiled back. After Aliha left I arranged my stuff and decided to sleep for a while. I cannot recall when I slept so peacefully last time.
“The Mysterious Helper”
woke up to the sound of fire crackling in the fireplace near my bed.
The weather was cold and there was absolute silence. I suspected it was late midnight, however, when I checked the time it was 5 o’clock in the morning. I have been sleeping since nine hours almost. I felt hungry but decided to take bath first. After taking bath in warm water I headed towards the kitchen to search for food. Aliha placed half cooked soup in the refrigerator for me. I prepared the soup with a cup of tea and had my breakfast. The weather was still dark outside due to the clouds. After breakfast I called Aliha and requested her to see me. She came to the cottage without any delay. “Hey! I hope everything went well and you had a good rest” , she said. “Yes! I did. And I also had breakfast with the soup you left for me. It was delicious”, I told her. ‘Thank you for your kind remarks” , Aliha responded smiling. “Aliha actually I need a car to visit nearby areas. Can you arrange it for me please” , I requested. “Sure! Just give me half an hour and do you want me to come with you”? She questioned me. “No thank you! I will manage. And yes thank you for arranging the car” , I said. She smiled and left. Meanwhile I placed some important stuff in my bag and walked outside. The weather was not very cold but it was really cloudy. It was not hard to predict that it will rain today. But I wanted to visit this beautiful place as I only had two days left in this town. I was suspecting the area around and just then I heard a horn. It was Aliha and she arranged a car for me. It was a jeep perfect for driving on the mountainous roads. After taking some instructions from her I went for a drive without deciding any destination. After half an hour I reached a place covered with many trees tricking the driver to believe that we are driving in a forest. I looked at the sky.
The Thunderstorm was approaching. The sky was covered with dark ominous clouds. Then, all of a sudden rain droplets cascaded from the sky. The pitter-patter of the rain suppressed every other sound. The rain was falling as if somebody poured the endless bucket of water from the heavens. As I was noticing the lightning in the sky the rain started to howl. All the creatures took shelter and listened to the tale nature was telling us. The tales of nature seemed familiar to the one who observes nature when it is quiet. I decided to head back towards the cottage and visit Bayview’s local town today. I reversed the car and headed back. After a short while the car stopped during to flat tire. I quickly grabbed the umbrella and stepped outside to detect what happened. The front right tire was punctured. I stood there in shock as I had no idea how to change this damaged tire. I called Aliha but due to the thunderstorm there were no signals. I was worried and had no idea what was the right thing to do next.
I took some steps away from the car examining the empty road ahead. There was little hope of finding help in this weather. I turned back and saw a man in black trousers and jacket walking from a distance towards me. I couldn’t believe my eyes. His face was covered with umbrella. At that moment I just stood still as I didn’t know if I was suppose to be relieved or worried. The man came near my car and placed his hand on the bonnet of car. “Seems like you need help”, he remarked. “Yes! The tire is punctured and I have no idea how to change it”, I told him. “ I see”, he said after moving the umbrella away from his face. He was in his early 40s with light olive complexion, dark black eyes and quiff hair that were dark black . His expressions were somewhat serious and friendly at the same time. “There must be an extra tire in the boot of car”, he said. I moved towards the boot and found the tire there. “Do me a favor and hold this umbrella and I will do you a favor and change this tire”, he said smiling. “Yeah sure”, I replied. The stranger took the tire out and started replacing the damaged tire. “Can I ask your name and what were you doing here in this weather as I was not expecting to see anyone here at this moment”, I inquired. He looked up at me and paused for a while then, he looked down focusing on the tire. “My name is Jack Alan. I live nearby and was out for a walk as I do everyday but it rained today. However, we are use to such weather. I guess it was a good decision to walk today otherwise you might not find any helper here till I don’t know how long”, he told me. “Yeah true that! Thank you for helping me. But I didn’t see any residential area nearby while driving”, I remarked. “You must be a tourist!”, he said laughing. I felt sort of embarrassed and suspicious too but can not deny the fact that I am a tourist here and didn’t really know much about this place. “So, you actually are a tourist right? “, Mr. Jack asked. “Yes! I am on a vacation here”. “What are your views about this place so far?”, Mr. Jack questioned. “This is a beautiful, peaceful and I should say a magical place”, I answered. “Magical? What is magical about this town “, Mr. Jack asked. “I don’t know exactly but something is!”, I replied. Mr. Jack stayed silent after I said that. For nearly ten minutes there was a complete silence. “Here you go!”, Mr. Jack said all of sudden and stood up taking umbrella from me. “You can head back to your cottage now”, Mr. Jack said. “Thank you so very much Sir! You saved me honestly”, I informed him. “Goodbye”, he said smiling and started walking. I sat in my car relieved and saw him slowly disappear from my sight. I reversed the car and started my journey back to the cottage continuously thinking about what happened. Mr. Jack treated me as if he knew me.
And just at that moment I realised that he said “head back to your cottage”! How did he even know I am staying in a cottage and not in any hotel? I was baffled and started driving faster but my more caution as well because it was still rainy. After some time I reached the cottage and saw Aliha standing outside worried. I parked the car and stepped outside. “Come on! Let’s go in”, Aliha stated. We both moved inside the cottage. “Where were you? Are you fine? I was continuously calling you but heard no response. You can’t imagine my stress level”, Aliha said in stressful voice. “Don’t worry I am fine now”, I quickly responded and afterwards told Aliha all that happened. “One more tale of this town! “ , Aliha said looking suspicious yet delightful. “What?”, I inquired. “I think he was one of those mysterious helpers that live somewhere in this town. They don’t introduce them as such while meeting people. We don’t know much about their identity or residence but we have heard hundred on incidents where they miraculously help people”, Aliha told me. “Well! He might be an ordinary person named Jack Alan”, I suggested. “Maybe or maybe not! Jack Alan? This is new! They never told their names before”, Aliha informed me. I stood there in suspicion. Just then, Aliha asked me to freshen up and have food. I couldn’t believe what just happened. It was an ordinary incident but there was something unusual in it as well. Aliha decided to stay with me today as she sensed my disturbance. After having food we turned the TV on and the breaking news gave me another shock. It stated that this thunderstorm and bad weather will continue for 5 days and due to which all flights are cancelled. “What? I was suppose to leave day after tomorrow“, I said in a shock.
