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The imminent reality of my departure weighed on me—a chapter I wasn't ready to close. The wind picked up and nipped at my raw cheeks. I tightened my wool scarf and tucked my gloved hands into my puffy down coat. I wasn’t necessarily going to miss the weather, though.
As I wandered, lost in thoughts, a familiar figure caught my eye. It was Magda—the elderly hotel worker who’d read my palm. There she was, seated on a bench in a quaint little square seemingly impervious to the chill. A flock of pigeons gathered around her, each eager for a share of the breadcrumbs she was scattering into the snow with a contented smile.
I slowly approached, my boots crunching softly in the snow, not wanting to disrupt the painting-like scene.
She looked up at my approach and smiled, crinkling her eyes.
“Ahoj,” I said.
“Ahoj.”
She patted the space beside her on the bench, inviting me to join her in this simple yet serene moment.
"Feeding the pigeons,” I said dumbly.
She smiled and nodded. “Old friends. They listen. No…judge."
I laughed, finding comfort in that idea. I glanced around the square, its charm undiminished by the passage of time. Children laughed in the distance, their playful echoes weaving through the air, and locals bustled about, each absorbed in their daily rituals. I sat beside her.
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” I said, not sure how much English Magda really understood. "I thought I knew what I was doing here, but now..."
Magda tossed another handful of breadcrumbs into the snow. The hungry pigeons swarmed. “Prague—she change you.”
“She did. I’m not even really sure how yet, but I am definitely not the same person I was.”
I watched the pigeons, their cooing a surprisingly soothing backdrop to my racing thoughts.
“The hotel will change too,” Magda said.
I turned toward her. She didn’t seem upset by this notion. Simply resolved to the passage of time.
“Will you—will you stay once they sell? I don’t know anything about you. I’m sorry.”
She smiled lightly and tilted her head to study the birds. “I stay. I stay because we all stay. She change, but not going anywhere.”
I smiled tightly, wishing I could believe that.
She went on. “Like an old tree. Keep growing new leaves, but roots remain in the soil. The tree still stands with new leaves.”
“That’s a beautiful analogy.”
Magda turned to me and said matter-of-factly. “Your crossroads.”
“Right. That.”
“You know where to go.”
It took me a moment to decide if that last bit was a question or a statement. I stared at Magda for a long moment. Then she smiled a wide, gap-toothed grin.
Yes, I did know where to go.
I suddenly felt a surge of clarity, my role transcending beyond that of a mere negotiator between entities. I stood abruptly.
“Thank you, Magda.Dekuji.” I pressed my hands together in a prayer motion.
She nodded with a small smirk. “Go.”
As fast as I could move without running, I pushed through the snow back toward the hotel. I had always measured success in terms of deals closed and accolades received, but now, I was seeing things differently.
