Through Seeds and Beyond

Day 1

So, finally, he commenced the long-awaited journey. On December 12, 1983, at 6 AM, he left his stay and took a local taxi to Manchester Victoria railway station. The taxi driver was a stranger—he had never met the man before. Within 25 minutes, he reached his first checkpoint. Now, he had to wait another half an hour for the connecting train to London Euston. Hence, he decided to get a cup of tea from a nearby shop. A cold yet pleasant wind embraced his mind, which was full of heat and agony.

Then came the train. It was expected to take another two and a half hours to reach Euston via the intercity service. The train was not crowded, allowing him to secure a comfortable window seat. Next to him sat a young boy, probably ten or twelve years old, beside his mother. Alfred drifted into deep thought—perhaps reminiscing about his good old days. He tried to shake off those memories and focused on getting some sleep.

Before he could fully doze off, his ears were disturbed by the cries of a toddler. He struggled to relax but eventually succeeded in falling asleep. However, his sleep was soon interrupted by a peculiar dream. In the dream, his present self was speaking to his 12-year-old self, saying, *"Too late, yet wasn't needed."* Startled, he woke up, unable to resist pondering over the dream’s meaning. Before he could analyze it further, his destination arrived.

With a bag slung over his back, he stepped off the train. His next destination was London Victoria, from where he would catch a train to Dover Priory. It was already past ten, so he decided to have breakfast. After a light meal, his subway train from the London Underground to Victoria arrived. In a bit of a rush, he boarded one of the coaches. The 30-minute ride swiftly brought him to London Victoria.

From there, he needed to board a train to Dover Priory, which would take another 90 minutes. This train was more crowded than expected. Standing for almost 20 minutes, Alfred finally found a vacant seat. However, soon after sitting down, he noticed a woman with an infant standing nearby and decided to offer her his spot. A wave of agony and memories of his dream wrapped around him.

As noon approached, sandwich and snack vendors began occupying their designated spots. With about 30 minutes left in the journey, Alfred finally found another seat and settled in. By 2 PM, the train reached Dover Priory, and Alfred disembarked. After a short 10-minute taxi ride, he arrived at Dover Eastern Docks, where he would board a ferry to Calais, France.

The ferry was expected at 3:20 PM, giving Alfred time for a meal. After eating, he waited patiently for its arrival. Just then, he was disturbed by the sound of a child's cry. But as he turned his head, there was no one there. A moment later, an announcement confirmed that the ferry was ready for boarding. Passengers began moving toward the deck, and Alfred secured a seat.

The journey across the English Channel was somewhat challenging. Sitting at the back of the ferry, he observed the unpredictable nature of the sea route. The weather darkened slightly, though no immediate storm threatened the voyage. He struggled to find English speakers, as most passengers were French. The journey was estimated to take around two hours.

Alfred tried reading a book but quickly lost interest. Instead, he had some snacks he had brought along and decided to take a walk on the deck. Watching the White Cliffs of Dover fade into the horizon, he was momentarily mesmerized. A little further away, he noticed two Frenchmen playing chess. Keen to join, he approached them, and since they spoke English comfortably, they welcomed his company. However, he spoke little, unwilling to reveal his purpose.

By evening, the ferry approached Calais, and Alfred hurried off. Sitting on a bench, he reviewed his next steps—he had to take a train from Calais to Paris.

An hour later, the designated intercity train to the French capital arrived. It was packed, and passengers rushed to board. Alfred took a standing position in a corner, scanning the crowd for an available seat. The journey was nearly three hours long, expected to reach Paris by 8:30 PM. After over an hour of standing, he finally secured a seat, feeling immense relief as he rested his strained legs.

As the train approached Amiens, particularly the Somme region, patches of woodlands and streams came into view, filling his mind with a sense of bliss. This was the same region that had witnessed some of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Not far ahead, he spotted the famous Amiens Cathedral. He considered eating something but decided to wait until he reached Paris.

As the journey progressed, he observed many small villages, where people were still engaged in work despite the late hour. By 8:30 PM, the train arrived at Gare du Nord. From a distance, the Eiffel Tower spread its colorful lights across the city. For many foreign travelers, this was an enchanting sight. As the passengers slowly disembarked, Alfred eagerly scanned the surroundings and spotted a restaurant outside the station. He went in and had dinner.

His next train, from Paris to Nice, was scheduled for 10:19 PM. He reached the platform where he would board. The journey to Nice would take nearly 11 hours, most of which he planned to spend sleeping. The train was expected to reach Nice by 9:30 AM.

After purchasing his ticket at the counter, he sat on a bench, then moved outside to rest while flipping through his book. Right on time, the train arrived, and Alfred swiftly boarded. This time, he was assigned a middle seat. To his left sat an elderly French man, while to his right, a young Italian traveler. Since language was a barrier, conversation was minimal. Leaning back in his seat, Alfred prepared for a deep sleep, despite it being only 9 PM.