Through Seeds and Beyond

Day 4

The next day, early in the morning at 6, Alfred opened his eyes. The climate now looked cleaner and calmer. The tea seller was available just after, and Alfred was happy to take a cup. Sitting on the deck side, he took a couple of sips. Nikalaos was still sleeping. Alfred felt refreshed and was in a good mood in the final hours of this journey.

By 9, the ferry reached Patras. Waving goodbye to Alfred, Nikalaos jumped out of the ferry. He seemed excited to be back in his homeland. But for Alfred, his tasks were far from done. At 10 AM, he had a bus to Athens. So he went to the nearby bus station and bought a ticket. After a while, his bus arrived. It was quite large, and Alfred got in. The journey would take him to Athens by 1:30 PM. Since his schedule was tight, he often couldn't have proper meals, so he bought some packets of cookies to eat during the journey.

By evening, around 6, he was expecting a ferry that could take him all the way to Limassol by the next day at 6 PM. The temperature was close to 15 degrees Celsius, and many people were wearing sweaters. After some time, a light rain occurred during the journey, but it didn't last long.

By 1:45 PM, the bus reached Athens. Alfred was hungry and searched for a restaurant. After walking a few meters, he found one. He had a good meal there and felt refreshed. His next journey was scheduled for 6 PM, so he decided to continue reading his unfinished book. After some time, he moved to the ferry station.

At 6:30 PM, the ferry reached Piraeus, Athens, where Alfred and many others were waiting. Alfred was eager to get on board. As usual, he preferred a seat in the middle. He noticed that most of the passengers were middle-aged, with some students also traveling home.

As the ferry started its journey, Alfred watched Athens fading away. Many seagulls were chasing the ferry as it left the port. The beauty of the setting sun made his mind feel warmer. The great orange-red appearance of the sun was a joy to watch. After some time, the ferry became busy with food sellers. Alfred ordered Moussaka and a Greek salad. Most passengers were engaged in eating, but Alfred noticed a young man sitting in a corner, looking sad.

"Don't you want to eat?" Alfred asked.

The young man shook his head. Alfred, curious, hesitated for a moment but then asked what was wrong. Slowly, the young man started speaking. His passion was to become an athlete, especially a footballer. But at 18, his parents had forced him to join a business administration course in Rome. Now, he was heading home for the first time since he enrolled, but he still couldn’t make peace with it.

Alfred felt sympathy for him but wasn’t sure what to say. After thinking for a moment, he comforted the young man, advising him to talk to his parents one more time. If they still didn’t agree, he could try to balance both his passion and his parents' wishes. That was Alfred’s reply.

They continued talking and got to know each other better. The weather was chilly, and Alfred prepared to sleep. By 9 PM, he dozed off.

The next day, at 5 AM, Alfred woke up. Many passengers were still sleeping, including his new companion. His name was Eden. After some time, Alfred bought a cup of coffee and started drinking. The sun was slowly rising, spreading its reddish glow, which felt like a positive omen in Alfred’s mind. There were still many hours left in the journey.

By 9 AM, Alfred and Eden had breakfast together and talked for a while. Seeing Eden, Alfred seemed to recall something from his past, if only for a moment. They engaged in a deep and meaningful conversation.

At lunchtime, they had pizza and drinks. Later, Alfred took a nap, while Eden wandered around the ferry. Not long after Alfred woke up, the ferry began approaching land. The Troodos Mountains became visible in the distance, and the fresh water slowly faded into the open sea.

Finally, the ferry landed at Limassol. Many passengers looked relieved and happy to have reached their homeland. Eden, too, waved goodbye and disappeared into the crowd.

Now, Alfred became fully conscious of his next task. His next destination was the old library that Antonio’s grandfather had mentioned.

That evening, he decided to rest in a hotel near the capital city. The rooms were quite expensive, but he took one anyway. After a quick shower, he ate some bread he had in his bag and soon fell asleep.