He remembered the last time he’d seen Elīna. The rain had been cold, and the silence between them even colder. He’d left looking for a "better life" in the city, chasing echoes of success that turned out to be nothing more than hollow noise. Now, three years later, he was stripped of the pretenses. He had a worn backpack, a heart full of rehearsed apologies, and the rhythm of the road.
The neon sign of the roadside café flickered, casting a rhythmic blue glow over Ralfs’ boots. He didn’t stop. He couldn’t. The bassline of an old cassette tape seemed to pulse in his very marrow, timing his stride to a beat that had been driving him forward since sunset. He was "walking to her"—just like the song said. Tranzits Ejot Pie Tevis
She looked at the long, empty road behind him and then back into his eyes. A small, knowing smile broke across her face—the kind of smile that meant the music hadn't stopped after all. He remembered the last time he’d seen Elīna
The phrase (Walking to You) is the title of a beloved song by the Latvian synth-pop group Tranzīts . It’s an anthem of longing, the rhythm of footsteps on a long road, and the unwavering pull of someone waiting at the end of it. Now, three years later, he was stripped of the pretenses
As dawn began to bleed grey and violet over the horizon, the familiar jagged skyline of their village appeared. His legs ached with a dull, heavy heat, but his pace quickened. He turned off the main road onto the dirt path where the scent of jasmine and woodsmoke hung in the air.
"I told you," he said, his voice raspy from the night air. "I was on my way."
He reached the garden gate. The wood was slightly more weathered, the latch a bit rustier. He stood there for a moment, listening to the morning birds wake up. Then, the front door creaked open.