Finding Mitty.

Chapter 12: A Clockwork Clementine.

Walking up the winding road and passing through the massive gates - damaged over the years by cannonball hits yet still standing with resilience - I was starting to let go of everything thought that was lingering in my mind leaving only space for my surroundings to sink into my memory, etched in stone. Anna walked in front of me, looking around with a reminiscent, lightly smirked face, yet still in awe of the whole sand and rock around her.

It was afternoon, sunny and hot. The fort, which rested approximately 400 feet above the city and was enclosed by thick walls, had all sorts of exhibitions, markets, restaurants and craft bazaars. Various musicians played folk music which mixed with the cacophony of all the people buying and selling indigenous products. The whole aura was in as many ways similar to the hustle and bustle of New York as much as it was different. There people were trying to get from something to something else all the time. But here, here there was no place you could come from and no place you could go. All you could do is just be there, among the people and the music and history, living.

"I'm glad we're here Walter."Anna said we walked down a stone paved road in the market.

"Yeah. When was the last time you were here?"

"Long time ago."

"With your grandpa?"

She nodded.

We walked along quietly for a while until we were at the highest point of the fort. It was an open area filled with people, tourists taking pictures of the Jodhpur cityscape, couples sitting on the walls and talking, a group of people in the corner had created a small makeshift theatre and were playing puppet shows on it. Anna and I found an empty spot near an old cannon and sat there on the wall, looking over at the blue city. All the houses in Jodhpur were coloured blue as a way of keeping in tradition started by the Brahmins, and also because it kept the interior of the house cool. We just sat there without speaking for minutes, me scratching at my wounds and Anna just looking out in the horizon. And soon enough, nature had it's way and the awkward silence came like a blight.

"So this is where the Smurfs live huh?" I joked in order to break the ice.

She looked at me and barely smiled and said, "Spoken like a true American."

"What? The smurfs are totally European." I pointed out.

"And being politically incorrect is totally American." She snarked.

"At least we didn't invade this place for 200 years!"

She palmed her face and sighed saying, "Jesus Walter, what are you doing?"

"I was just trying to make conversation. The silence was getting on my nerves." I replied defensively.

"No, I mean, why did we come here?"

I threw my hands up saying, "Jeez I don't know, you wanted the farewell and then I got profoundly banged up and then whole thing about Dad and Uncle Sean and Ghost cats..."

"What?"

"Nothing, maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Walter, you're an emotional mess right now, it's okay."

"I was better in my life, I should've never come here."