The Phantom Man 2 - The Book of the Dead

XI - Modern Life

Young Philip was still wandering around the town when he arrived at the hotel Alexia had talked about. In the entrance, he met town students with an age like his and started a conversation with one of them.

"Hi there! Is there any room available for foreigners? I was told that people from all places come here."

"I believe there is. Why don't you ask at the reception?"

"Thank you! I'll do that."

"It's a nice place here. You're a lucky to have found a room. It's not expensive either. I forgot to introduce myself properly. I'm Diego and he's Gabriel."

"I'm Philip."

Diego stretched his hand for a shake. Philip looked at him curious. He didn't know that that was the way people exchanged greetings in the modern era. Nevertheless, a few seconds later, he realized that he was supposed to reciprocate, so he stretched his hands and had a handshake with the Greek young man. The other one was African, and he also greeted Philip.

"Where are you from? Considering your accent, you must be from Germany."

"I'm from Germania."

"Germania? This country doesn't exist anymore," Gabriel said with a smile on his face.

"What are you saying? My country was destroyed?"

"No! You must be kidding. That region has become Germany, one of the greatest countries in the world. You speak like you belong to the 15th century."

"Maybe I should have never left my country. My boldness made me lose everything I had," Philip thought, with sadness.

The boys remained quiet, waiting an answer from Philip, who was looking at the emptiness as he recalled the past.

"My apologies if I look distracted. I believe I've hit my head somewhere," he tried to make up an excuse.

"Let me see it. Yes, it's looking like you're really hurt," said Diego.

"It's okay, I'm getting better."

"C'mon in! It's cold out there," a woman on the door called them.

The students lived on that lodge with many others that studied at the Central University of Florence, one of the oldest in the country. Gabriel was from Angola. He was getting his PhD. in Data Engineering, while Diego was getting his master in Computer Science.

Elina, the woman who invited them in, introduced Philip to the owners. They were happy to accommodate another young man from a foreign country, so they gave Philip a credit until he found a job that paid his expenses.

Philip said good-bye to Diego and Gabriel. He promised to meet them later to have another chat. But at that moment, all he wanted was to meet Alexia again; she resembled his past love so much!

Then he asked the owners if there were books where could learn more about the modern way of living. They promptly showed him a simple library furnished with nice books and magazines. Philip asked if he could borrow some, and then went up to his room; he took the shower that he needed so much, and then began to read. In the next day, he would go out and look for a job.

In the quietness of his room, he produced a spell that made him absorb all the information contained in the book, and so he learned everything about the past and the present; he began to understand the way that History had developed and what the world he was living in was like.

The phone beside his bed rang.

"What is this?" He asked himself, frightened.

The device didn't stop ringing, so he decided to keep on looking at it. He took up the receiver and looked at it, until he noticed that it was silent again.