Free and happy

The red car on a white background, slowly stopped opposite the university.

After an hour-long lecture, I sat in an empty auditorium.

My first day of teaching was a success. Although the topic was usual and I did not hear anything remarkable. But still the students here were very gifted and intelligent young people.

Still feeling a slight dizziness, I felt tired.

I looked at the schedule and realized that today I was free.

Another distinguishing feature of this university was that here, no one loaded students with monotonous six-hour lectures and a bunch of homework.

But I was only glad of it because I could not wait to walk on these snow-covered streets alone.

And so, a red small car stopped in front of the university and Fortunata suddenly appeared.

She was wearing a short leather jacket and grey jeans. She had a cap on her head with a picture of a lion in front.

Shaking the snow from her shoelaces, she looked around and waved to someone.

I watched her until she disappeared from sight.

"Are you Professor Skyemoone?" suddenly one voice could be heard.

I looked towards the door and there was a man in a black sweater with a picture of a deer.

"Yes. That's me," I replied rising from my chair.

"My name is Nicola. I teach math. It's nice to meet you," he said quickly running up to me.

His short curly hair trembled slightly along with his energetic hands movements which at first wanted to hug me, but then just shook my hand tightly.

His face was slightly wrinkled but still, his youth was in his blue eyes.

"I heard you give a lecture. You have a very nice quiet voice," he added standing in front of me.

I didn't say anything, I just started collecting my papers.

"Professor, are you hungry? Why don't you keep me company? At the same time, meet the other teachers," he said, putting both hands in his pocket.

Before I could answer, someone got ahead of me by saying, "I think Professor Skyemoone is busy today."

We turned around together and Fortunata stood in front of us.

Seriously looking at me, she continued, "Professor Nicola, if you don't mind, we'll go."

Nicola looked at me in surprise.

"Professor, let's go."

Waving her hand, she left the door open I heard her footsteps disappear at the end of the hallway.

"I see you've already made friends with Miss Fortunata, " he said in a whisper.

"It was nice to meet you, maybe next time, I'll keep you company," I said feeling curious from what she said.

Wearing a fur hat, I quickly left the building.

The snow slowly fell to the ground. People on snowmobiles passed by me.

Fortunata was waving to me standing next to the red car.

"Professor, I hope you know how to skate?" she asked me by opening the door to me.

«I think yes."

"Great," she said. "How was your first day? I hope no one offended you."

"Everything went well. And no, no one offended me," I replied slightly laughing at the last sentence.

She was driving smoothly and slowly, I looked at her long fingers which lay gently on the steering wheel.

"How's your new melody? Have you finished writing this?"

"Yes. I finished it the day you arrived. Now, I'll have time to walk and talk to you."

She looked at me and smiled.

Still, I remembered the night she scared me. What happened when the electricity went out?

"Are you uncomfortable here?" she suddenly asked.

"Why do you think so?"

"I can see that you miss someone."

"Do you know how to read minds?"

"Professor, if you feel sad, you can come to me at any time. I'll always find free time," she said and looked at me again.

I felt a little uncomfortable.

"Do you still feel dizzy?"

"Yes, a little."

"It's going to pass soon."

Noticing that we were driving in the middle of the forest, I began to worry a little, and the reason for this excitement was that my dizziness became even stronger that I had to close my eyes and squeeze my palms in my fists.

But when she stopped and I got out of the car, it was over.

"We need to go that way," she said and went ahead.

Five minutes later through a small pine forest, a spacious ice rink opened in front of us which to my surprise was empty.

And only at the very end was a small wooden house.

Heading there, Fortunata made me sit on a snow-covered bench and ordered me to wait.

The cold air no longer seemed so unbearable. On the contrary, I liked the cold. And the air seemed crystal clear.

While I was sitting in front of the flat ice, birds flew high in the sky.

"Here, take it," she said stretching out the skates. "If they are small, I'll change."

To my surprise, the skates were just my size.

"Well, are you ready, professor?" she asked and extended her hand to me.

I got back on my feet and took a few steps forward.

"Don't go, you need to move your legs like this," she said and smoothly but quickly moved forward.

After a few clumsy attempts to do the same, I finally found myself on the ice.

There were tall trees around us. I suddenly remembered that lake where Leon took me. And there, too, we were surrounded by almost the same tall trees.

"Give me your hand," she said and clutched my tense hand.

Huddled towards me, she began to drag me forward.

"Are you not cold?"

"No. I'm used to this climate."

"I like your leather gloves," she said looking at my hand.

Next to me, she was much shorter, but I liked that difference in height.

"Professor, you're so tall, " she suddenly said and smiled.

She definitely knows how to read people's minds.

"There are so many differences between us. The difference in height, the age difference." Her eyes, which seemed to change color, and her facial expression, which was carrying millions of emotions, made me nervous.

And I specifically, to test my hypothesis, mentally said, "I hope your father doesn't think bad of me. But you need to know that I don't have any strange intentions."

Fortunata did not confirm my hypothesis.

"Professor, how do you feel now?" she asked.

"Much better."

She didn't say anything and let go of my hand.

Now, I could skate better than a few minutes ago.

The feeling of sliding on the ice, straight forward, was breathtaking and soon I was like a bird. A little more and I'd take off.

I suddenly realized that in winter there is exactly that beauty, which is not in the summer. And the beauty of it is...

In golden hair!

I almost fell. Stopping in front of the forest, I suddenly noticed golden hair through the branches of trees.

No way! Where would Leon come from? Unless he came here...

Standing in front of the forest, at the very end of a spacious ice rink, I felt goosebumps that ran on the back. And it wasn't from the cold.

And the hand that touched my back made my heart flinch, but once I turned around, I saw it was just a Fortunata.

"Professor, are you feeling ill?" she asked me clutching my shoulder.

I looked again towards the forest, deep into the area where the trees were intertwined, and I suddenly wanted to ask, "Tell me, is it possible to walk in this forest to a man?"

"I don't think so. The branches are too interwined with each other. Did you see something there?" she asked.

«No. It is getting colder."

"Let's go home?"

"Yes. I just remembered that I needed to write a small essay for tomorrow's lecture," I said and caught the look of Fortunata which was full of riddles.

This look reminded me of Leon's gaze.

And for a moment, I even thought it was him. Standing in front of me and asking about the essay.

"A simple essay on Plato's Cave," I replied.

"Is this about how a person perceives reality?"

"Right."

"Let's go. Professor, are you okay? Do you see anyone there? The ghost?" she asked, noting that I had stopped again and looked towards the forest.

"Do you know, sometimes you notice something out of nowhere but then it disappears abruptly."

"Just like Plato's cave, Professor. We can't know where reality is. But sometimes, some things can be seen," she said and took me by the hand.