The Frozen Desert by Moein Mansoori Fard (free e books to read online TXT) 📕

It is like I am in a dark corridor which is endless. Nothing can be seen and only with the lightning the ground becomes a little bright. My eyes search in the dark hopelessly. The vapor which is coming out of my mouth obstructs my eyesight for a few seconds. Getting away from those events, my body is chilled again.

All of a sudden, a lightning is emitted in the sky and after sometime looks like is faded behind a hill. There, again, another lightning occurs and again looks like is faded behind another hill. It is a rather unusual. It is like something prevent it to be seen. I close my eyelids a little and with the third lightning, which is accompanied with an ear-splitting sound, a spark lights my heart. I see a dim image of a house. A gleam light is shimmering in a distance of less than thirty meters.

I hold my breath lest it become a hindrance for my eyesight. My eyes are gazing into the light which is coming forward. I can’t believe; finally I have achieved the thing I wished. I praise God ceaselessly, and a smile appears on my lips. Then I slowly move to the place I saw the light. With the fourth lightning, the house, under the passing light, reminds me of the ghost house. The light is from a rather big house which seems to have two floor, accounting the ground floor. Darkness of the air has become like a water color painting and I can see the house beyond this painting. Its walls are cracked. The house is made of bungling job of the brick, wood, and some pieces of metal and plastic. It looks like that the house is kept untouched by the cobwebs. In the lower part of the house, bricks and some pieces of wood and plastic have been collapsed by lapse of time.

Nothing has remained of the walls of its yard. The walls of the house were bored and stovepipes were directed to outdoors. Some windows were blocked with bricks and grout. It has only four windows which are divided between ground floor and first floor.

There are some thick iron beams on the top of the building which have elevated, and some other have arranged beside the house. The iron beams on the top of building are too rusty, so that one of them has bent and fallen on the ground, although it is still linked to its base.

On the top of the building, the remnants of the debris of other floors can be seen. Half of the second floor has fallen completely and there is no door and window in the intact half. Its roof has fallen completely as well. Of third floor, it is remained just a wall which is the lateral and on the right side of the house. In general, only the first floor is available and useable. Yet, the iron beams on the top of the building allow to add some floors to the house in the future.

I suspect a little, maybe I have confused it with something else. It is impossible that anyone resides here. I don’t want to think that it is not the same destination that I was looking for, and for this, I dictate it to myself this is the same house.

The hands of the wind are playing a tuneless and longsome music with old aluminum plates which has covered different parts of the building, and, along with old plastic and wooden pieces, it is the only rhythm of the nature which reverberates in this infinite space and shows that the wind is a beginner.

The right entrance door is in lateral side of the house. I go toward it slowly, while I drag my feet on the sands. Again, my heart beats faster but this time it differs from the last time. I stop at the door and look at the signboard which prevents me from confusing here with the ghost house.

Immediately, I look at that part of the sky which is not yet captured with the clouds for the last time. The war is over. The blue sky and the yellow spot which spreads more and more. The war between light and darkness, which has been occurred for million years. I feel more rain drops on my face. I read the signboard over the house:

“Dawn Shelter”

Chapter 3

Dawn shelter

A dim light radiates from below the door and once in a while the shadows behind the door, cut it for a short time. I knock the door but no one replies. I knock again, it is ineffectual. Strange sounds can be heard from inside the house and I recline my head on the door to hear this weak tumult better. I take a sand off the ground and knock it hard at the door.

At any moment, rain falls more and more. Suddenly, the tumult, which has filled inside the house, becomes weak and after a short time it stops. After a few seconds it begins again. Then I hear a footsteps which are approaching the door. I keep my distance from the door and hold my knapsack in my hands.

The footsteps stop behind the door and after a few seconds, a wicket on the door is opened insomuch that two blue eyes appears. These are dumb eyes in which the more I probe, the less I find. These big and impudent eyes signify that a man is looking at me behind the door. He stare at me. His eyes, which are seeking for something, explore my face. After a while the wicket is closed.

Each rain drop pricks my body like a needle. I gnash my teeth so that my head begins to quake involuntary. I am sure that if I stay here more, I will be frozen.

Again, I hear the footsteps approaching door. It stops like the first footsteps. Time passes in silence for a few seconds and then a gibberish conversation begins between them. I hear that the first one goes away from the door and the second one opens the door after a while.

I dry the wet on my face to see well. A beam of light radiates from a gap on the door and forces me to close my eyelids a little and use my hand as a sun visor. Rain drops cascades from my hand like a waterfall. I wink my eyelids several times and, through my fingers, I see a man who is looking at me through the opening in the door.

Again, I see the eyes which are brown and immediately survey me from head to toes. He raises one of his eyebrows and shows his distrust of me. I just show him my smile and assure him. The man behind the door opens it after a short pause.

He is a handsome and tall man, he has split his lax hair on the crown of his head and left them on the face. His skin is smooth and youthful. His face is rigid and serious, and his smile is incompatible with his face. The letter “K” on his necklace, in the circle format, looks very pretty. He is clean and has a good appearance. Finally, he breaks his silence and says:

Hello, I’m Karisan.

Then he reaches out his hand and continuous:

Welcome to the “Down” shelter!

I do my best to reach out my hand to him but my hand is stiff as a stick. My body trembles thoroughly, and I can’t even wink.

Hurry up, come in, you are trembling severely.

Then he goes aside to allow me to enter. I can’t believe that I finally have managed. I take a step into the house doubtfully. A warm wave touches my face which irritates my skin a little. I feel a delicious and pleasant smell. No, I can’t believe, finally everything has finished and I have reached to my destiny.

All round the left side is a counter. In front of it, there are the tables with chairs around them. Almost all of the tables, except three or four of them, are occupied. This shelter is crowded more than the last one. The sound of sudden closing of the door by Karisan, cuts the inside tumult. All of the heads turn to our side and look at us. Suddenly, everyone arise and stand. With eyes wide opened and openmouthed, they stare at us and say:

Man alive! It’s raining.

After a while, they rush into the door and windows like the famished, and gaze into outside longingly. The strange tumult begins, everyone tries to push others aside and reach to the windows. Some, bring their hands out of the windows to touch the rain. Happiness can be seen in some faces and some others are amazed.

Can you believe!? It’s raining!

Another one says:

I’d forgotten its figure.

A little girl, while her tongue is tied with excitement, says:

Mam! Is this the same rain you told me?

Young women replies her:

Yes my dear. It is the rain I told you about it. Listen, how beautiful is its sound!

I seize the opportunity and take a step. I go toward a table but stop by the sign of Karisan’s hand. I widen my eyes to show him my protest and ask him the reason, without saying a word. It happens even as I want; Karisan replies to my eyes with a smile and says:

I’m really sorry, but you should first freshen yourself up a little. Taking a shower would be enough. Go to the bathroom and I’ll ask to bring your outfit later.

Then he shows a small room with his finger which it seems has been made newly and is beside the entrance door. He guides me to the bathroom which is in a two-step distance from us. Before I go into it, he blocks my way again and says:

For sure you know the conditions, there isn’t so much water and please economize on it. Since you were under the rain for a rather long time, you had better wash yourself well, and finally, if you have any problem call on me or another doctor.

He waits for my reply but I just give him a negative response with my head shake. He opens the door of bathroom for me and I enter. Before closing the door, he says:

There are all you need in bathroom, but if you need something else pull that bell. Please don’t prolong your washing. My colleague brings your outfit a few minutes later.

Before closing the door, I take the razor and put my knapsack beside the door. He closes the door slowly and his footsteps fades in tumult. I sigh of relief deeply. I look at the outside through a hole on the door but I just can see a limited area. People are trying to get a better situation to see the falling diamond rain drops, and also to hear the melodious sound of their landing on the ground.

I back into the bathroom. The first thing that attracts my eyes is the stains on the mirror. Only small part of it is useable. Yet, it is enough for me. As soon as I see my face in the mirror, I take a backward step in wonder. I can’t believe it is me. I look around carefully to be assured I’m alone there. When I see only myself, I go toward the mirror slowly. I close and then open my eyes. I feel no change, and I’m the same man who is standing in front the mirror.

Finally, after a while, this image becomes normal to me and I accept that this is my face. This time, I realize the alienation of Karisan. I survey myself in the mirror. My eyes are hollowed and a layer of dirt has changed the color of my skin. It is like glue is poured