Take My Magic For Your Routine

Chapter 2

Hans stepped carefully over the narrow path among the century-old trees from the old forest. At one moment, it opened in front of him and he heard the sound of the fast waters of a mountain river, which fell in cascades through the stones and got lost in the valley.

He felt silent beneath the sight. Quickly, he searched his pockets. On one shoulder he was carrying a weapon, but that wasn't what he was looking for. From his front pocket he took out a phone, and with few swift movements opened a camera app and put the beautiful sight inside it. Then he took the picture.

He sat on a stone near the river and started editing the photo. Time stopped existing...

"Hans! There he was, next to the water! We are looking for you for more than an hour" he heard loud voices, followed with laughter. His colleagues surrounded him and sat next to him on the river stones.

"We found traces from a camping fire below," said his colleague Felix. "You were right. There was someone in the forest yesterday."

"The information we have collected today will be of much use" said another forester, Max. "The brochure for planning excursions should be issued by the end of the week. All it is waited for is your pictures, Hans. How does it go?"

"I'm working at the moment on one of them," he said. "I took it a few minutes ago."

"Let me see it!"

"Here". Hans handed him his phone and he looked at the display. His face lit a wide smile.

"This is great, Hans! I've never seen such a beautiful picture. And you have made it with this old phone camera! I wonder how it would look like if you took it with a professional one. You could be a photographer, buddy!"

"Oh, I have enough of your praises!" laughed Hans and jumped on his feet. "It's just a photo, and it should help scouts as a resource of this mountain. I'll send it to the office. Are we going to St. Johann this weekend?"

"Of course! On Saturday dirndl and lederhosen festival is holding. We will watch pretty girls dressed in full, wide skirts with tight waists! There is no prettier girl in the world than Tyrolean in dirndl. And, boy oh boy, I want to wear my short leather trousers this year so much!"

"Me too."

And three foresters stayed in the fresh air until the sun set down, when they entered their jeep and returned to the village.

Few days after, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, Rosamunda stood over the computer at her herbal pharmacy in St. Johann and analyzed the data from the sales. She tried to find out which medicine sold the best, so she would produce it more. Outside was a crowd; that day was held the festival of dirndl and lederhosen. From somewhere flew sounds of Tyrolean music and yodeling, which became louder and louder and Rosamuda finally realized that the music group had stationed before her store. People started gathering to listen and finally the crowd became so loud that she could barely concentrate on her work. At last she put it away, and went out to mix with the crowd.

It was beautiful outside. On the streets of St. Johann there were a lot of people. Girls and women dressed in vivid cleavage dresses with narrow waists were everywhere, and men dressed in a Tyrolean national costume paraded down the street. Music resounded from everywhere. Foreigners, dressed casually, observed the festival smiling and had their time.

She stopped to listen to a musical group.

"Rosamunda! Rosamunda! Where are you going like this?"

She lifted her head and saw Hans's smiling face. He was standing near the table full of men and women who watched her smiling, and held a mug full of bear in his hand. She recognized few of her neighbors in the group. She didn't have where to escape and she had to smile back.

"Nowhere. I just went out of the store" she said politely and nodded to greet them. "I wanted to see the festival. You've got a nice place here!"

"Here, come and sit on our table" invited her her neighbor, an older gentleman whom Rosamunda respected a lot " and tell me how the price of St. John's-wort oil is going to be this year?"

"Another beer for the Fräulein" shouted Hans to the waiter not waiting for her answer, and she lively landed on the chair and sat close to him. Not too close, she hoped. The day was nice, music pleasant, and Rosamuda relaxed in the cheerful company.

"It's so pleasant here!"

"I have barely provided the table" said Hans "I wanted there to be a chair more, in case you show up, because your store is close to the restaurant... and you really did! I hoped to see you this evening, because I have something to share with you... I am happy because the brochure for scouts on the mountain Ellmauer Halt have issued. I only missed your smile to feel like in heaven!"

"What does the brochure have to do with you?"

"I took all the pictures in it. They are really beautiful, Rosamunda, I'd like you to see them. A true art, that is how my superior said. But, why am I talking this much? I have the brochure in my pocket. Here, see it. "

Rosamunda took the colorful paper indifferently, opened it and started to turn the pages. As she was nearing the end, she opened her eyes widely and they started showing something that looked very much like delight. Pages rowed before her eyes, made in various colors, and each one of them was decorated with a picture from Alpes with such pretty colors, such harmonious compositions that she thought she had never seen more coherent creation. It surprised her a bit, because in her image for the simple, unwashed forester no way fitted the idea for a gifted artist - photographer. But the pictures in the brochure undoubtedly pointed out she wasn't right. They were beautiful, she had to admit. Has was obviously a very talented man and not at all the simpleton she considered him to be. She had to change her opinion about him.

"Well.. I'm surprised. The brochure is full of great pictures. True art. Did you make them yourself?"

Hans melted from the compliment and smiled. His eyes shone beneath the long, blond lashes.

"I will have to change my opinion for you" she continued "you are not simple not stupid. I will think about you as for the most talented boy in the village from now on."

"If you really change your opinion about me, will you go out with me sometimes?"

Rosamunda was thinking. Hans maybe was talented and intelligent, but his face was still left unshaved for many days, and his clothes dirty.

"If you accept the advice I will give to you and start to grow!"

"I'll accept all advice you will give to me."

"Nice. Listen carefully. I want you to change your daily routine. Start shaving regularly, shower every day, and take care of what you wear and look like. They say in your home there is no place to sit down from the garbage and dirt and you clean the house only once in a few months; it must change. New Hans will be clean and tidy, nicely dressed and will live in a home as clean as himself. Is this clear?"

"I did, yes! I understood it and I will do it!"

"For how long should we expect the results?"

"Well... in ten days in front of you proudly will stand new Hans. Is that good?"

"Great! But it is already late and I must go... " said Rosamunda and stood from the table. The company tried to keep her, but she apologized that the next day would be a hard one and left.