Chapter Text
I woke up in my room with a newfound sense of comfort and familiarity. I remember waking up tired, lacking the energy or motivation for even the simplest tasks, experiencing fleeting and inconsistent moments of confidence. But that day, things felt right.
I got out of bed early without feeling irritated by the alarm. I looked through the window of my apartment. Outside, a beautiful city awaited me, Quelimane. A green yet bustling city, with beautiful buildings, both tall and small, all naturally well-organized and reflecting the finest pf the portuguese architecture. Right in front of me was the emblematic Aurora Café, from which I could already sense its distinctive aroma. And in the distance, as always, stood the tallest building, a magnificent architectural masterpiece that never ceased to amaze me, imposing yet harmoniously integrated into the urban landscape.
But it was time to start the day. I took a shower, ate a good breakfast, and with everything I needed, I left home and headed to the university where I taught history. I didn’t need a car, it wasn’t far. A few minutes of walking were enough.
On my way, I saw everything. The light traffic of the city, the people going about their business. The people... That was what fascinated me the most. I no longer remember when I moved here, but the people have always been the soul of the city. It may sound ordinary, but when you truly observe, each person, each face, whether black, white, or mixed, each one dealing with their daily worries in a contagious harmony, you can’t ignore the welcoming feeling it provides. From young couples in love to nostalgic elders sharing memories, large families, exotic tourists from all over the world, busy workers rushing to their jobs every morning, and the joyful laughter of children playing in the garden parks, everything felt right, as it always had, or at least as I always remembered.
I arrived at the university center where I taught. It was a large yet simple space. Its well-maintained gardens, with a view of the beautiful Bons Sinais River that bathed the city, were its main highlight. The buildings themselves were nothing beyond what you’d expect from a higher education institution, with a striking modernist architecture, yet not exaggerated. But there was no need for more. Inside, the hallways were filled with students, engaged in conversations, bringing life to the vibrant atmosphere typical of such a place.
It wasn’t long before I was teaching my first class of the day. A modest amphitheater, a true symbol of university learning, was where I’d be spending the next few hours. There were a lot of students, or at least enough to justify the size of the room. The subject of the day was the same as always: History of the Empire and the Overseas. But as the end of the year approached, we were focusing on more recent history.
The lecture examined how Portugal managed to integrate its colonies in a way that defied all international expectations, creating and solidifying an ultramarine consciousness so strong that it prevailed over time, eliminating past instabilities and injustices. As a result, Quelimane, Mozambique, had become a perfect example of such integration, a flourishing African jewel, a population center, and an economic hub, representing people of all races living harmoniously together, all of them Portuguese, just like the students sitting in front of me.
At lunchtime, which, to be fair, wasn't that much, I stepped out to grab a meal at a nearby canteen, as I usually did. It was a popular place, frequented by both university people and local workers who came there daily to eat. Because of that, the menu wasn’t particularly diverse, keeping in line with the affordable prices. But the food was well worth the cost. I had been to much more expensive places with way worse service.
Luckily, arriving early, I got a good seat, one that even allowed a nice view of the outside. And to my surprise, as I was halfway through my simple steak with rice, I saw her. Sitting on a park bench, visible from where I was, was a beautiful woman, not that this was uncommon, given how many stunning women lived in this city. But this one was different.
She was young, blonde, short, wearing a simple blue polo and a long gray skirt that contrasted with the vibrant tones of her hair. But even that wasn’t exactly what caught my attention. There was something else, something I had yet to understand. Beside her were two children, whom she seemed to be taking care of. They looked somewhere between six and ten years old, with one being clearly older than the other, though I couldn’t tell from afar. But obviously, they couldn’t be her children.
I observed all this for about a minute, but then I remembered that my meal was getting cold. I looked away for an instant. But when I turned back to where she had been, she was gone. Vanished, literally, in an instant, without a trace.
"Where could she have gone? And how? That’s strange… She looked so at peace, and within five seconds, she disappeared—just like that."
But it wasn’t something that would affect my day. After all, who hasn’t seen a beautiful woman and got a little distracted looking at her? I finished lunch and continued teaching my scheduled classes for the afternoon.
At the end of the day, as I walked back home, I couldn’t help but admire the vastness of the city at nightfall. The vibrant life of the daytime slowly faded, replaced by an indescribable tranquility. The darkness, interrupted only by a few artificial lights, carried a profound feeling of serenity and belonging, which was only amplified by the gentle Indian Ocean breeze, bringing with it the unmistakable scent of sea air.
Another day had been completed. I arrived home and, as always, reflected on how my day had been. "How did that woman vanish so suddenly during lunch? I don’t know… Maybe I just didn’t saw her leave. But aside from that, everything was normal. And that’s good."
It meant that everything was at peace, and for the next day, I couldn’t ask for more.