A Coat and a Necklace

by Kurtis Condra (United States of America)

I didn't expect to find Iceland

A Coat and a Necklace Every moment I breathe I think to myself, how fresh is this air that courses through me? I can taste the water from the morning, the smog from vehicles on the road that pass me by and more but what did I taste that day, nothing because it was pure and fresh. Not a single taste of gasoline, smog or the smell of sea air but instead what it truly is, air in its most natural form. That’s the thing though, you don’t know how lucky you truly are to be breathing until you breathe and think to yourself, “I am alive and every day I am it’s an enigma but is it?” I looked around to see a number of people behind me, and as we got on the bus I just looked around as if I wasn’t here and that this had to be a dream truly; me him and her are actually here, and my thoughts race through my mind as do his; “Can you believe this! We’re actually here, a whole new country.” “No I can’t, but here we are, and here is where we will be for one week. Let’s make the best of it.” When we got to town I asked a local what this massive building in front of me was called, and he said it was Hallgrímskirkja, the largest in his country; I looked in awe at it, and so did he, but some force beckoned me to it, and there the massive doors stood open, inviting us in. I walk past these doors, and along with him we stare in awe at the size of it all, the pipe organ looking like a snake waiting for the moment to strike out at you. “Have you ever seen anything more surreal?” He looks in awe at the organ, and as he’s about to take a picture, I stop him. “No, don’t do that, the spirits must rest.” He gives me an odd look, but simply nods, agrees and lowers his camera. We leave the church, and continue down the main street, looking at everything in awe and amazement. Coming from Poland you almost forget that once you step onto new soil, you’re not truly home, because home is where you truly feel happy and not hiding it behind your falsity laughs and for a moment to be here in Iceland I felt something that I lost a while back, happiness and being with my family. It was quite happy to be almost back home, but sad knowing in a week’s time we would be leaving it all behind to return to something we simply put a mask on to cover our lying smiles, and as we near the end of the street and look at all the people browsing the shops and wondering what gifts to bring back from this country lost in time we cross the street and finally make it to the harbor. Gazing out into the open and water feeling the icy winds brush against our faces, it’s serene and almost comforting to feel cold for once. “Wasn’t this a great idea, to leave our troubles behind and just enjoy ourselves, you and me?” he says, as sunlight gleams across his blue eyes. I agreed with him, and as we continued to talk, I could see the sun setting in the west, and soon we would be heading back to our guesthouse for dinner and then for a trip to see the dancers in the sky, a once in a lifetime experience. I heard someone say it was time to head back, so I took my hand off the rail, and began walking, but I felt something reaching for my necklace. “I see that you brought more than just his coat with you.” I turn to face my mother whose fingers were gently feeling the necklace. “He may no longer be here, physically, but this necklace, he will always be here and wherever I go, he goes.” “I’m glad he came with us.” “So am I.” Strange, the air got warm suddenly.