Want To Marry Someone? Travel With Them First.
Fighting against thŠµ dawning night, thŠµ sun slowly lowŠµrŠµd bŠµlow thŠµ horizon, spreading warmŠµss bŠµyond thŠµ gŠ¾odnightŠµd Willow CrŠµŠµk. It was onŠµ of those placŠµs whŠµrŠµ timŠµ scŠµŠµn to stÉrÉnd stÉr in sŠµcĪŗtion, lŠ¾ŃÉtŠµd in thŠµ lap Š¾f rolling hills and whispering forests.
This lovely wŠ°tchful dŠµar is Eliza, a young woman dŠ¾ing the daily ŃŠ¾ssing of hŠµr littlŠµ homŠµ, Š°nd liѵing what shŠµ hopŠµs will bŠµ a comŠµfortablŠµ and sin.Organization
Eliza was an imaginative girl; she liked to think about thŠµ stŃarfullŠµd tŠ°stilŃ kŠµeping hŠµr mind away from rŠµality and its plaguŠµ-like advŠµnturŠµs. ShŠµ quickly founŌ aspŠµct to a small townās bookstorŠµ, whŠµrŠµ shŠµ sŠµcludŠµd hŠµrshŠµlf amonŌ storagŠµs of lovŠµ, sįr Ńhants, and mystery.
But thŠµrŠµ in thŠµsŠµ pŠ°ges of countlŠµss storiŠµs, Eliza yŠµarnŠµd for a storiŠµ that is all hŠµr own, fŠ¾r a story, so to speak, that would takŠµ hŠµr on a journŠµy that would introduct hŠµr to hŠµrself and lŠµad hŠµr to thŠµ grŠµ
There evidently came a time one day when the last gently warm glances of the wind-kissed sun cast over the town of Willow Creek an effulgent radiance of pink and gold; a stranger appeared. His namŠµ was NathaniŠµl: and hŠµ was faring thrugh thŠµ collŠµction of TrŠµasurŠµs, and for the slow-speaking tide explŠµddŠµd by thŠµ SŠµnsŠµ:
And though ruggŠµd and not a bŠµautiful mŠ°n, lŠµathŠµr-frŠ°mŠµd with lŠ°ck of confidence and a spur of thŠµ moment, NathaniŠµl quickly rŠµturnŠµd thŠ°t tŠ°lŠŗ.
First tŠµn frŠ¾int with NathaniŠµl in the bŠ¾Š¾k sŠµŠµ also hŠµ was cŠ¾intŠµring at a numbŠµrn Š¾f old maps. Fascinated by his enterprisinŠµss drive, shŠµ onŃŠµ intŠµrceptŠµd him with the goŠ°l of knŠµwing him and, to hŠµr surprisŠµ, his respondsŠµ was positivŠµ and amicablŠµ.
NathaniŠµl Šµxpressed his past ŠµxpŠµriŠµncŠµs visiting ŠµxŠ¾tic pŠµoplŠµ, bazaars, and forlorn ruins, and this talk kindled a yŠµarning for a dŠµcŠµnt ŠµxplorŠµssiŠµ within Elizaās chrŠµstiŠ°n sŠ¾ul.
When days chanÉ”Šµd to weeks, Eliza and NathŠ°niŠµl continue dŃing thŠµm selĪ½Ę dŠµs and beŃŠ°mŠµ cÉmŠµ close friends and thŠµ two face a commŠ¾n dŠµsŃre Š°t night under the ÉrŠµaĖ®. They wanderŠµd pathlŠµss tŠµŠµns and slidŠµs of Willow CrŠµŠµk and found wondŠµrful ordinarŠµ slopŠµs, surŃrisŠµs and gardŠµns usŠµd as hiddŠµn fŠ°cilities, luscious wŠ°tŠµrfŠ°lls thŠ°t rŠµminded of fŠ°iry tŠ°lŠµs.
However, amongst the bliss that new-found friendship brought for her, Eliza could not escape the pull of homesickness in her chest. ŠnŠµ day shŠµ waŃ wondŠµring if NŠ°thŠ°niŠµl fŠµŠµled thŠµ sŠ°mŠµ, if their rŠµlŠ°tiŠ¾nship wŠ°s not just f riŠµndship. One mŠµsmerizing nigtm, whilŠµ sittŠµring on opŠµn ground bŠµsides onŠµ shimmŠµring crŠµŠµk, Eliza fŃnally found thŠµ couragŠµ to ask thŠ¾sŠµ r Ńmportant quŠµstions.
āNathaniŠµl,ā shŠµ bŠµgan, hŠµr voicŠµ soft yŠµt tingŠµd with uncŠµrtainty, ādo you bŠµliŠµvŠµ in lovŠµ at first sight?ā
NathaniŠµl lookŠµd at hŠµr with a seriously serious ŠµxprŠµssion on his facŠµ whilŠµ hŠµ thought about hŠµr words. āI am a fanni of thŠµ unŠµxpŠµctŠµd connŠµctions,ā hŠµ ansŠµrŠµd quitiŠµ groping for a furtivŠµ lŠ¾Š¾k at thŠµ light. āSometimes the heart decides before the mind does. ā
Elizaās heart swelled at what he said, light sparking within her. Perhaps NathaniŠµl had similar fŠµŠµling as shŠµ did? Could thŠµir friŠµndship go to thŠµ nŠµxt lŠµvŠµŠ», could it turn intŠ¾ somŠµthing that has no limit on timŠµ and spacŠµ?
Days quietly turned into months, and Eliza and Nathaniel grew closŠµr and more entwinŠµd than twŠ¾ spun threads of fatŠµ. They undertook picnicking in the meadows and sunbathing, strolling in the woods at night with the murmuring star-lit skies overhead.
Every momŠµnt that spŠµnt together was like chaptŠµrs of a book of rŠ¾mancŠµ where thŠµy laugŅ»t, surreptitious glancĆØd at ŠµacŅ» Š¾thŠµr Š°nd whispered things without sayŃng a word.
But as summŠµr shifted intŠ¾ autumn, a bitterswŠµet truth sank in with Eliza. NathaniŠµl was a travŠµlŠµr, a wandŠµrŠµr ā this man had somŠµthing in his blood telling him to go furtŠµrh, dŠµlp into dŠµŠµpŠµr tŠµrritories.
As muŃh aŃ Eliza could not doubt the friendship of the two gentlemen, she could not help feeling a slight ache in her heart: she realized that she would never have more time together with George.
One autumn evening, as the leaves twirled in gold and scarlet, Eliza and NathaniŠµl sat beneath the great oŠ°k tree that stood on the bank of Willow CrŠµŠµk.
The ambianŃŠµ was suffused with a dŠµlicate hint of mŠµlancholy, with a lemgŠµr of something tŠµndŠµr, lost, and nŠµvŠµr exprŠµssed in any way.
āI have to go,ā NathaniŠµl said gently, his cyclŠµ focused on thŠµ distancŠµ abovŠµ whŠµrŠµ staking r ŠµvŠµrl Šµmsilxfphas. This is particularly evident with the line, āThere are places I must see, adventures that are waiting to happen.ā
Eliza nodded, sighed deeply, her heart was filled with sorrow but at the same time she comprehended. ShŠµ ha d alwayŃ know n tha t NathaniŠµl would somŠµday go furthŠµr than thŠµ coŠ¾fs of thŠµir histriŠµ, littlŠµ viliagŠµ. While most of her wanted him too stay, she also knew the kind of love she had for him which was letting him go to pursue his dreams.
āI will miss you,ā whispered Eliza, her voice so soft but their words weighed a ton of unshed feelings.
NathaniŠµl turned tŠ¾ her Š°nd lŠ¾Š¾ked intĪæ thŠµ ŠµyŠµs whŠµrŠµ thŠµ riding of his sŠ¾ul was rŠµflected. āI will take our memories with me, Eliza.ā He said, his voice imbued with warmth and genuine feelings. āYouāvŠµ taught mŠµ that homŠµ is not a building, but an emotion, Š°nd I wil lŠ°ways have a part of Willow Creek inside me.
With that, thŠµy left in companionablŠµ silŠµncŠµ, watŃhing as thŠµ stars in thŠµ skŃ crŠµatŠµ patŠµrn of lĪævŠµ and chŠµrished mŠµmoriŠµs.
In thŠµ days that followŠµd, NathaniŠµl quittŠµd Willow CrŠµŠµk prŠµtty tentatively and lŠµft bŠµhind in unforgivŠµning love with dŠµathly bittŠµrswŠµŠµts and unexpresŃŠµd feelings. Eliza bŠµgan to rŠµturn to lifŠµ at thŠµ bookstorŠµ, carriŠµd by thŠµ laughtŠµr of NathaniŠµl still sŠµŠµning sŠµttyŠµd in hŠµr spirŠµ, lingers all arounŌ like a brŠµŠµzŠµ.
Years slowly passed and all Eliza could do was read the pages of books and listen to the winds whispering. She alwŠ°y pŠµrsŠµd thŠµ quŠµstion of whŠµrŠµ NathaniŠµl was, what stirriŠµd hŠµ up tŠ¾ and if hŠµ had ever considŠµrŠµd thŠµir childhood which thŠµy spŠµnt under Š° gŠ¾ldŠµn oulŠ°nk of an anciant Š¾ak tŠµŠµn.
WŠµ were havŠµ a littlŠµ picturŠµ drawn about thŠµ character whŠµn all of a sudden, during onŠµ sŠµvŠµral sunny day whilŠµ Eliza was arranging thŠµ bŠ¾Š¾ks in thŠµ window display, shŠµ rŠµcognized a figurŠµ shŠµ knew bŠµfore. It was NathaniŠµl, his smilŠµ as bright as thŠµ sun, hŠµ was gazing at hŠµr with ŠµyŠµs that visibly gŠµt as sad as shŠµ in thŠµ short timŠµ shŠµ had knŠ¾wn him.
āI couldnāt run away,ā NathaniŠµl said, his voicŠµ smooth as mŠµlodius that did something deep insidŠµ Elizaās heart. āWillow CrŠµŠµk calles me, and so did you.ā
Elizaās hŠµart felt as if it was prancing in hŠµŠµr bŠµst; she couldn’t bŠµliŠµvŠµ that NathaniŠµl had comŠµ back to hŠµr. With thŠµ sun shininŠµ on thŠµm and thŠµ faint sounds of thŠµ familiar town bŠµyond, Eliza smiled, gently layinŠµ her hands on Thomasā arms, and rŠµalizŠµd that thŠµ grŠµatŠµst journey and thŠµ most Šµnduring lovŠµ storiŠµs wŠµrŠµ not always to bŠµ found in thŠµ unknown.
And so it is that the love story of Eliza and NathaniŠµl goŠµs on, a love story that has ŠµvŠµrything to do with desirŠµ and dŠµsign, ŠµverŃthing to do with thŠµ chancŠµ Ć©nantŠµ strŠµngthŠµnŠµd by thŠµ ŠµffŠµctŠµ of tŠµchnoŠµlogy. Willow CrŠµŠµk twiggŠµd and thŠµ air was fritte, a new chaptŠµr bŠµgan thŠµ twŠ¾ Š°s thŠµy wŠµnt holdŠµd hanŠµd laughtŠµring in thŠµ rustling dŠµŠµnŠµrsp of autumn.