The ferryman stood in his boat, oar in his hands, waiting for the woman to approach the riverbank. His face was not visible, as he was wearing a hooded cloak.
When she was close enough, Mavina stopped, and looked at him, trying to make out his features. She could see his mobile, lively eyes, black fires dancing in their sockets, somewhat familiar.
The ferryman nodded: “If you need to cross over, and reach the Isle, do come onboard. I know these waters, and I will serve you well.”
His voice was muffled, as if coming from afar.
Mavina asked: “How much is the fare?”
“I don’t ask for your money. By the end of the trip, I will ask you for my due.”
“Am I not entitled to know in advance?”
“Only those impelled by great need or love board my boat, and reach their destinations, so I have leeway to ask for my due.”
Mavina considered what she was to do.
What if this man led her astray, or murdered her? What if he was a madman?
After a while, she gave in, and boarded the boat.
The reeds at either side enclosed a long strip of water, until it bent, and was no longer visible to the eye.
As the ferryman paddled with confident strokes, the embankments covered in ivy rose at both sides.
The trees were sparse. Some willows clustered, giving way to secluded, shaded pools where fish leapt unimpeded among the water lilies.
At length they reached the mouth of the river, and across from the boat, the Isle rose from the mist.
***
When they touched land, Mavina asked: “What should I pay?”
The ferryman pushed back his hood.
Mavina gaped as she saw her ex-boyfriend standing in front of her.
“David, what are you doing here?” she mumbled.
“You would never have accepted to let me come along, if you had seen me from the start.”
“That’s a fact.” she replied. “So, what do you want?”
“A second chance.”
Mavina winced. “I suppose I cannot refuse.”
“Correct.” David said. “I am coming to the Isle with you.”
***
Beyond the shore, they stepped onto a path lined with olive trees leading to an open, wide orchard.
There, a huge tree stood in the middle. Its leaves sparkled in several colors.
They went near: what they had taken for colored leaves were hanging bells.
Mavina touched one with her finger. Not a jingle came out, but a human voice prattling on, like a child’s.
David touched another, and yet another, and another still.
Different voices were talking at once, uttering unconnected speeches, as if women, men, children of all ages had gathered there speaking to invisible people.
“What are we supposed to make of this?” said Mavina.
“Maybe, just pick one and listen,” said David.
“But which one?”
“I don’t know. Pick the one that calls out to you.”
Mavina collected for a moment. Then, she focused her attention, and stretched her arm towards a higher branch. She stroked an emerald green bell.
A woman’s voice – soft, yet firm – said:
“Welcome to the Isle. Why did you come in the first place? Answer truthfully, for this will lead you to the right place.”
They stood in silence, considering their motivations.
There was that time when they had quarreled in the car, and Mavina had got off and walked back on her own, and packed her things. David regretted his harsh words. He was ready to make amends. So, his motivation was clear.
Mavina took a longer time: she had read about the Isle a few months before in a dusty book she had found in the public library.
She had been so engrossed that she had spoken her wish to find it out aloud.
Since then, every day, a new hint would add up, and together they had led her to that very moment… but why had her longing been so intense? What was she looking for?
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
“So, my motivation will have to do for both of us. I want you back, Mavina, and I will show you I am worth it.” David said.
As he spoke, a breeze rose from the east, inviting them to walk past the orchard, uphill.
On the hilltop, there was a stone mound. In the interstices, unknown hands had placed countless prayer notes.
There, Mavina’s heart broke open, and she cried for the first time since they had parted. David put his arm around her shoulders.
***
What an uncanny island it was: the villa was as still as a graveyard, and all the while, they had not met a single living creature, be it human, or animal.
The villa looked old and neglected. Even the wooden shutters were broken and disjointed.
Once inside, Mavina headed towards the staircase that led upstairs. David followed her like her shadow.
They came into an attic full of cobwebs.
After some fumbling, they unlocked the chest near the window.
They lifted the heavy lid together.
As they opened the chest, they stared at the many pictures it contained.
They grabbed a handful: they were pictures of their story. There, it unfolded like a silent movie: all the best and the worst moments of their life together had been captured through an invisible eye.
While David marveled and pointed at various pictures, Mavina could but feel that all had been contrived. Had David himself put on such a show? She doubted he was capable of it, but still, it did not sit right with her.
“Look, David. I see you are sorry, and I forgive you, but I can’t forget the way I felt the day we broke off. Nothing stays the same, and I won’t go back.”
The moment she had uttered these words, David’s face changed.
It transformed altogether.
In front of her, now stood the old magician from the book in the library, with his lively black eyes, and long, white hair.
“You did it, Mavina. You are free from your past now, and I welcome you here as my apprentice.”
Mavina stood there half-dazed, wondering at what she had witnessed.
Then, she bowed, as she felt now grateful, and in the right place.
The magician said: “The first lesson is never exclude something as impossible: there are so many more possibilities than people are usually aware of.”
