The Eternal& The Ephemeral

Chapter 1

Chapter 1- A suitcase of memories.

Oxford, England

5 years ago

Something about walking up the steps of your dream university should've coaxed her into an ephemeral dream coming true and being in the embrace of luck should've ignited at least some sort of happiness in her. While she was extremely happy to be here, the cold weather was a remedial contrast to the warmth in Rosanne.

Rosanne guided her way through a corridor, welcoming the temperature increase, comfortably heated walls of her new hostel-Marlow. The many coats that her mom and Audrey, her best friend had convinced her to pack seemed to finally make sense.

Thank god for them both, Rosanne thought.

Suddenly she wished they were here to witness this with her. Rosanne wish she could put all the happiness that she felt in that moment and pack it all in a suitcase and send it to them back home. Rosanne's dorm room was on the first floor, so with much difficulty she guided her 2 suitcases up the flight of stairs.

"Well at least it's better than living with your step mom." A guy said, facing towards one of the rooms on the floor.  He looked around Rosanne's age, wearing a white sweater and navy blue trousers.

"That's a very low bar, I would live without water- that's better than living with my step mother, but it's still a low bar." A girl spoke in a heavy British accent, appearing from inside the room, she wore jean shorts pairing it with a tank top. Rosanne wondered if she was one of the people who didn't care about the weather and simply wore what she pleased.

"You'll get over it." the guy said to her.  Rosanne moved on towards her dorm room which appeared to be at the end of the corridor.

"Hey you're moving into room 6?" The girl asked, as Rosanne was about to walk past them, she stopped in her tracks.

"Yes, I am," She said nervously, Rosanne wasn't best with introductions but regardlessly she spoke with a smile she hoped didn't border on creepy or awkward, "I'm Rosanne."

"What a nice name, If my father ever allows it, I'm stealing it, thank you very much, I'm Amber, I'm at room 4. The girl at room 5 is Akira, I saw it down at the list, but she hasn't arrived as of now." She said waving to the door where the number 4 was plastered on a gold metal plate.

"It's funny that you want my name, when yours is lovely." Rosanne acknowledged.

"Ah you're too kind, It's going to take me while to be less suspicious of you, don't mind me, I'm not used to kind people." Amber said, and for a moment Rosanne wasn't sure if she was kidding or  serious but she seemed to speak her mind freely. Rosanne chuckled nervously.

"well I'm Carlos," The guy introduced himself, extending a hand, with a grin.

"Hello, Carlos." Rosanne said, placing her hand in his and much to her surprise, he raised it and kissed the back of it.

"Oh Carlos, stop with the fucking antics," She said addressing him and then looking at Rosanne's  confused face said, "Don't worry about, he's a bit forced to become a gentleman. His inheritance is on the line."

"Oh!" Rosanne said, surprised at the indulgence of information of a person she had met only 2 breaths ago.

"Oh, we are heading to the bar down the road tonight, would you care to join us?" Carlos offered. Rosanne considered the offer for a moment, before saying, "sure! let me know what time."

"9 sounds good?" Amber inquired, leaning against her door.

"alright, see you guys later." Rosanne said, smiling and walking up to her dorm room.

A little rain had danced on the edges of the window panes, as Rosanne unpacked and distilled out her life, in this new space of time and propriety, her photo frames from back home, sentimental lockets in momentary pockets. She wondered about days, more rains like the one befallen today, the friends, would she make any, perhaps she would leave with a bag full of memories drowning in love and light?

The rain had mellowed by the time Rosanne was almost done unpacking, A flicker of sunlight filtered into the room, she smiled as she opened the tiny window that was plenty big for a generous amount of light to waft in through.

And so on that evening of that Saturday, in the spring season of new trysts and unknown streets awaiting discovery, it began.

~