Time

When we got home, in the living room, I came across an elderly man named Adelard.

I was surprised to see him here.

He was sitting next to Nico, talking about something.

Judging by their manner of speech, they were good friends.

Seeing me, he jumped up and on his face was the surprise too.

"Professor! That's a surprise!"

Adelard looked at Nico then at Leon.

"Professor Adelard, Leon whispered softly and slightly tilted his head.

"So, you're friends?"

"Yes," he said.

Adelard put his hand on my shoulder and said with a smile, "Come on, make us company. I want to ask you again about free will."

I sat down by the fireplace and the crackling of fire pleasantly filled the silence.

After riding a horse, I felt a slight pain in my legs.

"Well, professor, how long have you known Nico?"

"Actually, it's only a day."

"What?" he looked at Leon, who looked at his grandfather with an indifferent expression. "You must be a friend of Leon's."

"Did you show him the Thunder and the Flash?" Nico asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Judging by your face, you had a good day."

"That's the way it is. This area is simply designed to contemplate nature and ride a horse."

Stretching my legs forward to the fire, I allowed myself to feel tired.

"Are you tired, professor?" holding out a cup of tea, Nico asked.

"A little bit."

"I didn't think I'd meet you here," Adelard said still surprised by the fact that we met a second time.

"I am happy to see you."

"Well so professor, let us hear your lecture on free will again," Adelard said, even though I didn't want to talk much.

And to be honest, I didn't have the strength to lecture.

I rather wanted to take a shower and go to bed. Or maybe write down my thoughts.

But Adelard and Nico's gaze convinced me that a few words would not hurt me.

"About free will, I almost know everything. Better tell us about the meaning of life," Nico said covering up with plaid.

"Yes. That's right. What is the meaning of life?"

I sat down more comfortably. The heat from the fire was felt on my skin. It was a bit dark in the living room and everything was so cozy that I wanted to stay here for longer.

In front of me sat three people on a cozy sofa and around us there were books and pillows.

I loved that feeling of home comfort.

And then I realized that all this time I lacked this feeling of comfort.

"Talking about the meaning of life, isn't that too naïve?" Leon asked, looking at me with a cursory glance.

"Professor, please tell us of your opinion."

"If we talk about the meaning of life, it is worth mentioning that a person has destroyed the whole meaning and takes everything for granted."

"What do you mean?"

"Imagine an aquarium with a fish. What is the meaning of its life? Fish is fed every day, water is changed. And the fish can only swim, only live. It doesn't have any sense of life. And everything around, the person who feeds, the water, the fish takes for granted. So is the man, he lives, breathes, goes to work, thinks. He takes the whole for granted. He does not attach any importance to his thoughts, his life. He just lives because he's alive. Like fish, humans don't feel any meaning. Well, at least they destroyed any meaning."

"The meaning of life, it is what give taste to your whims and desires," Leon said holding Dreamer in his arms.

"You're right Leon. And it is worth extracting from it that a person does not appreciate anything. Because it's all for him to say it's supposed to be. The whole life of a man, for him is not the meaning, and due. But when a person starts to appreciate something, as it immediately becomes the meaning of life."

"So, you want to say that the meaning of life is the ability to be grateful," Adelard summed up everything I said.

Noticing my sleepy face, Nico said, "Perhaps it's time for our Professor to go to bed."

"Yes. He is tired." Leon muttered and not paying attention to the others, he took my hand and led me towards the stairs.

As soon as I sat down at his desk and started writing down my thoughts, all the sleep was gone.

While I was sitting and writing, Leon began to read.

I liked the comfort that we created just by being busy.

The rustle of the pages of the book, the sound of the pen moving on the surface of the paper, the sound of the wind, the purring of the cat, is it enough to feel so happy?

When I closed my notebook, I looked at Leon, who was sitting leaning against the pillow, and kept reading.

I lay down next to him and I started falling asleep, feeling his hand on my forehead.