Only Chapter

It's mid autumn and the streets are covered in a thin layer of leaves, coloring the world with its  different shades of terracotta. That particular day was windy and the falling leaves was dancing in the air, giving a magical feeling to that park.

Near there, a couple is making a picnic and they are all lovey dovey, making jealous the single runners who was passing by the track. It was possible to hear the laughter of the children playing close by and some birds chirping while preparing for the winter. 

Everyone was busy doing their own stuff, only him was there, doing nothing but looking without seeing the people around, searching for something that only he knows what it was.

The man who was just standing there looking around didn't fit with the place. His attire looked like something from the end of the 18th century beginning 19th century. The black coat finished in a long tail at the back but was cut higher in front. The waist-length square-cut waistcoat showed beneath it. His pitch black trousers gave him a formal air expected to see in the court in the first quarter of the 19th century. Only his golden hair was amiss, it was long, falling till his waist like a waterfall made of gold. What about his name? He doesn't have one but he clearly remember that a long time ago, a sweet little girl called him Gingko. 

The first time he became aware of his own existence was when she talked with him. Her big round eyes looked full of curiosity and amazement.

"Are you a ghost?" Her voice came out quite high but if she was scared or excited, Gingko couldn't tell.

"I don't think so."

"So what are you? It's my first time seeing a guy with a hair that dances like yours."

Gingko couldn't understand at first, he looked at his own head, his main body hadn't more than nine feet and the beautiful golden leaves were falling faster than he was expecting. 'The winter this year will be harsh'

"It's windy today, what do you expect?"

It took her a long time to talk back, she stared at him and at the tall tree behind him till she screamed loudly, with a logic that only a five years-old child can have:

"You're the Gingko tree?!"

After that, the girl came by every day, teaching Gingko a lot of things, even if he didn't ask for this at all. With this, he learned that he was born in the backyard of her house and  her father was an illustrious member of high society, even though Gingko couldn't understand that part. The little girl called herself Alice and she didn't know what it means being quiet. Despite all the efforts of Gingko trying to get her lost, the girl with curly brown hair, green emerald eyes and a mouth that was always babbling never stayed away more than one day. Without knowing, she was all grow up, only a blink of an eye for Ginko and the short Alice became an old lady with snow white hair and soon after, she disappeared.

Why did she disappeared? Where did she go? When is she coming back? Gingko didn't know the answer for none of these questions.

Reaching his pocket, Gingko took a silver pocket watch, looking for the nth time, to tell the truth, he had already forgotten how many times he looked for that tiny peace metal that could always predict the time of her arrival in the past.

"You're late." Gingko murmured to himself while keeping the watch back to the pocket.

Being late didn't really matter, he would still wait.

Suddenly he saw her, it was just a glimpse but her brown hair turned into a vibrant tone of copper under the sunshine before it disappeared in the crowd. He followed her.

How many times did he followed the wrong girl? How many times did his chest was full of hope before it deflated like a balloon when he found that that was the wrong girl? Nth times.

He ran between the humans without being seen, not because he was invisible but because almost all of the humans only see what they want to see. They lost the imagination, curiosity and the irrationality of the past.

He was getting close. Practically could feel her in his arms. Oh, how estatic Gingko would be when he could have Alice by his side again. But she continued to distance herself, without feeling him, neither noticing that he was at a short distance. Gingko reached his hand and pulled her, turning the girl around so she could see him.

She looked behind startled, searching for the person that touched her, but she couldn't see no one. Goosebumps assaulted her and without thinking twice, she ran away. Gingko let her go, it wasn't her. Alice's face were more delicate, her green eyes were like two emerald gems shining under the sun, her hair had charming curls and her mouth was always saying some nonsense. Nothing like that girl before. He went back for his vigil's place, would keep waiting for her.

Time passed. He saw her house changing owners, fall, the humans made new small houses. Roads appeared, cars even faster took place of the older ones. The small stream near Alice's home died, supplanted by the asphalt. Skyscrapers appeared and soon everything changed without Gingko noticing.

But he was still there, waiting for her in front of his main body, invisible for the distracted eyes. Only the dreamers could see him there, waiting. They smile, greets him but only her had the imagination to see him clearly, the curiosity to know him better than anyone and the irrationality to talk with him everyday. That's why he would wait for her without caring for how long it will take.

"I will always be waiting for you my little Alice. Always… I will always be waiting for you."