The Green Track

Frank Brainland is sixty-five years old. He used to be a lawyer, but he retired from his department. Now, his work is replaced by a young man, who is an inexperienced new lawyer.
Frank has been so boring since he retired, which made him felt hopeless for life. His former colleague, who also retired as well, invited him to go for walk every evening. The time is the only time he actually leaves his house and that’s also the only time he goes out for buying something essential for living.
Every four o’clock to six o’clock, Frank and Roy walk pass though the farmer house and walk on the track in the woods. Sometimes they will pick up some beautiful flowers when they pass by. It seems strange for two men to pick up those flowers from the bushes in the side walk; even so, they are still enjoying about doing what they want to do. They love doing that, at least, for Roy.
Frank thought that he might be dying from this kind of boring days; he can feel nothing for being alive. But by his nature human being that made him alive when every time he tries to murder himself.
“Frank, how do you think about Margie? She used to make delicious breakfast, but after I retired, no more breakfast. Ha, ha.”
“I don’t know. She is not my wife.”
“You are lucky, you don’t have a wife. After we don’t have a job, all they do is treat you like trash. And when you being successful, all they do is going around and showing off. You are lucky. You don’t even fell in love before!”
“Well, here you go. I don’t even think about woman at all.”
“And you don’t have a dog neither, it is strange for a man, especial an old man, live along in that big fancy house. I guess those kids around your house are scared by you.”
“They say I am a vampire, but you know what? I don’t care. I don’t like kids.”
“You are a tough man. But I like you anyway.”
“Thank you very much, then.” Frank takes a deep breath. “I know there are not many people love me”
“I know it. I knew this since I met you at the first day. I didn’t like you before I really try to know you. But how can you don’t like woman? Have you ever, ever in love?”
“Marry a woman need the courage to take the responsibility; fall in love require the courage to fall in hell.” Frank reply.
“You are right!” Roy laughed.
Day after day, this uneventful life almost drive Frank crazy; the only time that make his days different is the time when they walking together. Instead human, but Roy, he more likely to enjoy the nature and those wild animals, but Frank himself never notices that.

“Hi, Frank. This is Roy.” This morning, Roy gave Frank a call. “Margie and Jam want me to take them to the museum today, so I can’t make the date this evening.”
“That’s all right, enjoy.” Frank sounds peacefully.
“Thanks. But I think I can make it tomorrow.”
“All right, have fun then.” How peaceful, you even can hear the needle drop on the floor.
This accident scared Frank. It is hard for Frank; he couldn’t stand in front of his life if there is any unexpected change. The same situation happened when Frank retired. He felt longing for something but also helpless. Maybe he should goes to make a lot of friends and have a good social life. He did, when he was a lawyer, but not anymore. After retired, he abandoned his social life, or, can say that, he gave up his social life. He was tired to being around people. He didn’t love his job much, but he was good on it.
“It’s doesn’t matter, it might be good to relax one day. My feet hurt, and I am tired to listen to Roy talk about Margie. I am okay.” Frank tried to tell himself he is okay.
Four o’clock, Frank looked at the clock again and again. For some reason, he felt nervous and unmerciful. Finally, at four thirty, Frank decided to go out for a while. He walked at the same path as usual, but the only difference was that he was alone. He walked by the farmer house they used to walk, and the beautiful flowers that bloomed on the field that made Frank looking around. The mud he stepped on as soft as the most expensive blanket; the beautiful flowers spread out those wonderful smells; the wind from the farthest sea as gentle as cats’ step on the tree leave. He looked at the blue sky, and the silk clouds. He found a tree and set down under the big tree. He didn’t know there is a tree just right by the street. A few minutes later, Frank stand up and decided to keep walking down to the lake they used to feed the fishes. That’s their secret place. The lake is a very small lake which you almost can say it is water poor. It wasn’t like a nature formed lake, but it is there for very long time as long as a few centuries.
When Frank went into the woods they used to walk, he was afraid to walk in. He thought he would forget which track he should go; even he knew there is only one track. He stood at the beginning of the track for almost thirty minutes, and finally, he went into the woods. “Something is going to happen, I know it. But what will happen? There is nothing to going to happen. There is nothing could happen. If something happen, so what? I am so old, and I don’t have any one need to take care of. I don’t have load, and I don’t have friend will remember me. Will Roy remember me?” Frank was walking while thinking. “There is nothing to afraid of, and here has nothing I can hide if something happen. If I dead, there is nothing I can lie to God. Honest. I have nothing to hide.” Frank stopped, and looked. In front of him, there was a small track right next to him that he had never notice before. The track seems old as it setting there since the very beginning of the world. “Where is the end?” Frank was looking around and trying to see where is this track going to. But he couldn’t see anything. The track seems sort, but Frank couldn’t see the end of the track. Again, he stood, and thinking about whether he should going into this place alone, or go with Roy tomorrow. This time, he didn’t take too long to make thing decision. He walked in.

He was looking around the green around him. When he was walking with Roy, the sunlight will hit on his head and make he feels hot even during winter. Sometimes if the sun set earlier, they still can find the way out because the moonlight would goes through the cracks between the leaves and made the ground all as shine day. But the sylvan track Frank was walking wasn’t as same as the one he used to walk. The cold wind was blowing and he can hardly to see the sunlight even it was day time. A white rabbit ran pass the track in front of Frank. “White rabbit?” Frank turned around and tried to look at the rabbit, but the rabbit was gone. When he turned around, he saw that the track behind disappeared. There was no way he can go back. The only thing he could do was keep going on the track he was stepping on. “Whatever.” Frank thought and keep going.
He was looking around the woods and trying to breathe in more fresh air as he could. He likes this feeling, fresh, and vigorous. As he kept walking, he saw many animals around him. He realized that he has been living with animals so long that he almost couldn’t believe it. He felt he almost melt into this world. The ground wasn’t as hard as it should be; he felt he almost become a part of the nature. Everything was familiar, as he knew them long time ago. He saw the birds on the tree, and he sang with them. When the birds flew away, he could see the world though the birds’ eyes. He saw the wild sky above him and the titanic territory just under his feet. Suddenly, Frank felt a drop of cold on his face, which pulled him back from those birds’ eyes. He looked up, used his own eyes, there were pieces of white, cold stuff fell down from the white sky.
Snow dropped on his face, and the cold feeling made him worried about his situation. There was nowhere he could stay and nothing could keep him warm. If the snow kept falling down, he might die. He thought. It is abnormal; he reminded that it was June, and by this time, it was not supposed has snow in this sunny season. The snow was not only made the woods colder, but also made it darker. There was no way Frank could go back, the only thing he could do was keeping going.
Finally, he saw the end of this track. He ran, as fast as he could.

He stood in the edge of the precipice, and looked around him. There was nothing but the simplest color. Snow was still falling, and the sky was still white. Everything was covered by the white snow, everything was white. There was nothing left, but snow. He could hardly to separate the sky and the hills. The horizontal line seems way far over the sea, over to the east. A lonely, but beautiful world, Frank thought. He decided to go beck. He turned around, and the track appeared in front of him. He carefully walked back and tried to search for the track that he supposes to walk. But there was nothing to worry about; about three minutes later, he was at the beginning of the small track. He was back to the track which he used to walk with Roy, the track he should on.

“Hey. This is Frank.”
“Hi, Frank. You know what? The museum was great! And my son finished his homework successfully!”
The next day, they were walking as normal.
“I went to the woods yesterday, and I found a new place. It was a strange place, but I think you will interest about it.”
“Oh, sure! Where is it?”
“I remember it’s around here somewhere.”
They were looking for the small track for almost an hour, but they still couldn’t find it. Then, they gave up.
“Were you dreaming?” Roy looked at Frank and laughed.
“May be.” Frank smiled at Roy and replied.
They didn’t find the track. After that day, Frank went back several times and was trying to find the small track. He never found it. But he will never forget the white world and the green secret track.

Never.