Bogumil Pacak-Gamalski

I’m in the woods, surrounded by trees. The sun filters through the leaves, creating a dance of light and shadow. The breeze caresses the branches, making them sway. They talk between themselves in the rhythm of that sway. The air is fresh and warm, but not too hot. It’s a perfect day … or it could have been.

But I’m not here to enjoy the scenery. I’m here to find you. You ran away from me, and I don’t know why. You didn’t say a word, just took off into the forest. I followed you as fast as I could, but you were always ahead of me. I called your name, but you didn’t answer. You didn’t even look back.

From the radio in my car I listen to Puccini’s La Boheme from Metropolitan Opera in New York. Last act. In Latin Quarters in Paris, the streets are dirty, buildings poor and cold. As the residents there. Clochards, cheap women and cheaper wine, poor artists (the bohemians). Little Mimi, overcome with consumption, is brought by friends to cold apartment rented by her lover, Rodolfo. She lays in bed but gathers her strength and sings to him about her love. Rodolfo responds with the same emotions. They sing together. Her singing brings hope to her lover. He starts to believe that Mimi will live, his hope gathers strength. But Mimi is dying. Hope and love can’t escape death.  

The terrain is rough and uneven. The ground is covered with dead wood, roots and rocks. I’m not as agile as I used to be. I’m not a young buck anymore, confident in my strength and speed. I stumble and fall, scraping my hands and knees. I get up and keep going, hoping to catch a glimpse of you.

But you are nowhere to be seen. You are hiding from me, or you have already gone too far. You are out of my sight and out of my reach. I don’t know where you are, or if you are safe. I don’t know what you are thinking, or what you are feeling. I don’t know if you still love me, or if you ever did. If you did, why can’t I find you in this forest, why are you hiding from me? Why have you forsaken me, my lover? Why you didn’t give me a chance to say goodbye. Why I didn’t know that the kiss was our last one? Have I known it, maybe I would have kiss you a moment longer, a second longer. Now the second , that precious moment is taken away from me. I don’t ask for much. Not for a year, nor a day even, or hour. Just that one second. Please come out from your hiding in this forest. Let me have that second.

The radio plays the sobbing anguish of Rodolfo in the final moments of last act of La Boheme. The curtain fells down.