The heart. Novel
by
Ovidiu
Bufnilă
I
don't know exactly.
How
did it happen?
Maybe
it had to happen. At first it was like that, a move.
When
I met several people on the subway, I found out it was the same.
That
move brought us there.
Yes,
the morning was a strange movement in my body.
Something
moved there.
I
didn't think about what. It was a sunny morning.
That's
what I remember.
An
ordinary day was announced.
There
were all kinds of events all over the world. Nothing unusual.
The
news flowed like waves.
From
everywhere.
Social
networks were shaking.
People
expressed their fears, joys, victories, upsets. The movement occurred
at 10 o'clock. I checked.
It
happened all over the world at the same time.
That
was incomprehensible to me. I
went to the supermarket to buy cigarettes.
Everyone
there was talking about that strange movement.
Everyone
had felt it.
Very
strong.
That's
how I understood that we were all the same.
I
sat on the curb on the sidewalk.
I
smoked a cigarette.
I
thought.
Something
was happening in the world and I couldn't explain myself.
I
watched a TV across the street.
The
TV was on the terrace of the restaurant there.
People
laughed, talked loudly, felt well.
I
thought I'd go and ask them too. I crossed the street.
I'm
glad I can be sprinting.
Hello.
Hello
to you, too, they said.
Did
you feel the movement?
Wow!
Sure
you do.
It
was beautiful.
It
was a beautiful move.
I
didn't think like them.
But
they were right.
It
was a beautiful move.
Something
moved nicely in my body.
And
in their body was the same beautiful movement. We were the same now
even though we didn't know each other.
They
told me the same thing.
Something
had moved in our body and that made us feel the same.
It
rained the next day.
It
rained lightly, without lightning and thunder.
I
saw many shadows on the street.
Then
I felt other movements in my body.
Very
strange.
I
talked to my neighbors.
And
they found the same thing as me.
I
watched TV but no one was talking about that phenomenon.
Maybe
it wasn't time to talk about him yet.
There
were only two or three testimonies on social networks.
I
would have liked to find more testimonies.
I
looked for them.
I
have not found. On
the third day I had a strange impression.
I
began to have thoughts that were not mine.
They
were not exactly.
I'm
sure of this.
I
began to inventory my thoughts.
I
tried to distinguish them from new thoughts.
Those
thoughts were either happy or sad.
They
were like my thoughts.
I
understand this.
It
could be anyone's thoughts.
It
was as if someone was giving me his thoughts.
On
the fourth day, there was an avalanche of new thoughts. There
were a lot of them.
Lots
of thoughts.
It
was an impressive moment.
But
I started to have other sensations than usual. I
felt the temperature in my room differently. I felt like it was two
temperatures. It was the same temperature, but I actually felt it in
two different ways. I talked on the phone with a friend from
overseas. He told me the same thing. In his city, there were more and
more people who felt the same way. I laughed a lot during the
conversation.
My
friend knew all sorts of jokes. He tried to reassure me. He told me
that it must be a planetary phenomenon and that I must not be afraid.
More and more people felt the phenomenon. And that was beautiful. It
was as if something mysterious united all the people of the earth. I
hung up and kept laughing. My friend collected good jokes. He had
been doing this since he was a student. He told us all his jokes and
we all laughed.
I
went out on the street. I talked to many passers-by. Each had its own
story. Each began to feel in many ways. They had thoughts that were
not their own. I asked them if they were feeling well. They said it
was a new and very interesting experience. They liked this new
experience. Some of them had started talking about this experience on
social networks. It was a topic increasingly sought after by people
around the world. That's how I found out that journalists also
started writing about this phenomenon. I
talked to a few women.
I
talked to a cop.
I
talked to a saleswoman. They
all said the same thing I knew.
I
thought about driving.
But I had to fill the tank with gas. I
went to the gas station.
There
were a lot of people there.
Everyone
was talking about the phenomenon.
They
said they were reading each other's thoughts.
It
was a new thing.
I
didn't think.
But
it was real.
People
read their thoughts and laughed.
They
weren't upset. They
were laughing.
I
also read the thoughts of a gentleman who was a university professor.
Then
someone read my thoughts.
It
was a very interesting moment.
I
drove several kilometers.
I'm
out of town.
From
there stretched the desert.
In
the distance were mountains.
The
mountains were full of snow.
Something
drew me to those mountains.
I
arrived quickly.
They
were high mountains.
And
then I felt someone's thoughts.
He
was a man in need of help.
I
got out of the car. I
found him quickly.
The
man had fallen into a pit. He
couldn't get out.
He
had hit his hand. I
helped him out of the pit. He
told me he realized I was coming to help him. Some
of my thoughts were already on his mind. I helped him out of the pit.
He
asked me for a cigarette.
He
was walking there and slipped into the pit.
He
thanked me.
We
both then smoked in silence.
My
thoughts were his now.
His
thoughts were mine now.
I
asked him what he thought of the phenomenon.
It's
a beautiful phenomenon.
It's
weird and beautiful. Will
it be all over the world?
I
think it will be all over the world.
It's
a beautiful phenomenon.
All
people feel the same heart.
That
was the explanation.
In
a way, all of a sudden, a single heart was born all over the world.
It's
a beautiful truth.
Regardless
of each person's ideas, all people now had the same heart. When
I got home, I met a woman who worked at the town hall.
She
was scared.
He
told me he couldn't read anyone's thoughts.
She
was very upset.
I
tried to calm her down. Let's
talk about this.
How
is it?
I
do not feel anything.
Then
you have to open your heart.
Maybe
you were too upset.
Maybe
you're scared.
She
smiled.
I
was too upset.
I
had some problems.
But
now I can look at things differently.
Give
me your hand, I told him.
Do
you feel it now?
She
began to laugh happily.
Now
he felt that he was like all of us, that he was with us all in one
heart. In
the following days I met other people who did not feel the heart.
I
talked to them and they understood.
Not
raining.
It
was sunny.
It
was very sunny.
Now
I don't know if it was spring or autumn.
I
know it was very sunny.
Astronomers
have told the public on television that they are cosmic phenomena.
But
I knew it was the heart that changed people's thoughts. Her
heart was moving.
Doctors
have tried to clarify the phenomenon around the world. Many
officials have tried to take security measures.
But
people everywhere told them it wasn't necessary.
We
all felt with one heart now.
It
was a unique phenomenon in world history.
We
didn't even care if it was related to cosmic phenomena.
Maybe
it wasn't related to that.
Her
heart was evolving.
The
heart evolved in the universe independent of the movements of the sun
or stellar explosions in other galaxies. I
went to the cafe to meet other people.
It
was as if we were one man.
We
now knew our worries, our desires, our joys.
We
were all convinced that something extraordinary would happen.
Probably
a new phenomenon was coming.
We
talked about it.
I
drank coffee.
I
laughed, I joked.
Across
the river, there were other people like us.
Ships
crossed the river.
On
their deck were people like us.
And
we were all one heart.
But
one morning, something unusual happened.
A
neighbor stopped me and told me he didn't know his name anymore.
He
was very worried.
I
tried to calm him down.
I
reminded him of his name.
He
thanked me for ten minutes.
Then
he left happily.
I
thought it was a singular event but it was not so.
There
were more and more people who had problems.
There
were all kinds of problems.
Doctors
have prepared a treatment suitable for memory loss.
But
that wasn't it.
It
couldn't be that.
It
was no ordinary memory loss.
Events
rushed.
People
began to fear.
I
talked to some people at the cafe and told them my opinion.
I
also wrote on social networks. But
one morning, something unusual happened.
A
neighbor stopped me and told me he didn't know his name anymore.
He
was very worried.
I
tried to calm him down.
I
reminded him of his name.
He
thanked me for ten minutes.
Then
he left happily.
I
thought it was a singular event but it was not so.
There
were more and more people who had problems. There
were all kinds of problems.
Doctors
have prepared a treatment suitable for memory loss.
But
that wasn't it.
It
couldn't be that.
It
was no ordinary memory loss.
Events
rushed.
People
began to fear.
I
talked to some people at the cafe and told them my opinion.
I
also wrote on social networks. A
few days later, the phenomenon stopped as it appeared.
I
didn't get any more thoughts in my mind.
And
all I had was my sensations.
I
don't know what happened.
The
phenomenon was quickly forgotten around the world.
People
continued to live their lives.
I
went to the cafe.
I
tried to talk to the people there.
But
no one wanted to listen to me.
It's
sad.
It's
incomprehensible.
It
must be a mess.
Maybe
I don't understand what's going on.
All
mankind had the same heart and the same thoughts.
I
lived this.
It's
true.
But
no one remembered.
They
looked at me amused.
I
stopped talking about it. I've
been driving often since then.
I
travel to many places.
I
know new people.
I
try to read their thoughts but I can't.
I
try to feel their heart but I can't.
I
think it was a very strange phenomenon.
Really,
very strange.
Maybe
we humans around the world have received a sign. Maybe
we should have learned something from that phenomenon.
Last
night I walked through the park not far from my house.
It
is a beautiful, bright park, full of beautifully colored flowers.
It
has wide alleys and very comfortable benches.
I
sit on a bench and watch the boats floating on the lake.
The
park has a very beautiful, clear, sparkling lake.
Swans
often come to this lake.
He
flutters his wings, elegantly, and sits on the water, making waves.
Swans
impress me.
I
look at him and try to understand what's on their minds.
Swans
probably have an elegant mind.
They
have supple movements.
And
it flies so beautiful and strong. There
are also squirrels in the park.
Squirrels
are cute.
Hops
everywhere.
I
jump from branch to branch.
I
come to you if you call them nuts and peanuts.
Squirrels
are very agile.
So
must their minds.
I
think about the thoughts that squirrels have.
I
sometimes think that squirrels think only of nuts and peanuts in
their minds.
But
it certainly isn't.
I
think what I'm thinking about squirrels' a mind is wrong.
And
untrue. Something
extraordinary happened to me yesterday.
I
sat on a bench in the park.
A
childhood friend of mine passed down an alley.
I
invited him to sit with me on the bench.
We
remembered all kinds of beautiful childhood events.
We
played together many times.
I
saw many movies.
I
ate cotton candy.
Every
child in the world wants to eat cotton candy.
What
could be better than cotton candy?
But
chocolate is also great.
I
was opening the chocolate with emotion.
We
filled our mouths with chocolate.
We
were soaked in chocolate to the ears. I
also ate ice cream.
What
beautiful memories.
My
friend is working at Central Station now.
Direct
the trains.
Trains
came and went at the station and people ran either to get on or to
meet them.
I
think it's a beautiful job.
And
very important. After
being left alone, I felt something strange. I don't know how to
explain it properly. It was amazing. I didn't expect that. I never
even thought it could happen to me. As a student, I had a few
premonitions, but I didn't pay attention to them. But now I
understand their importance. Maybe I should have taken them into
account. Maybe I should have been more careful.
The truth is, I'm kind of amused.
Or
maybe careless.
Sorry
about that.
I
hope one day I won't be like that again.
I
could tell jokes too, or I could get hired at Central Station to run
the trains.
I
could do other important things.
Why
not?
Many
people do important things.
Many
people think important things.
I
should do that too.
I
could think seriously about these things. I
was sitting on the bench thinking about it.
People
were walking in the alleys of the park.
They
laughed, held hands, told all kinds of stories.
I
looked at them with joy.
They
walked down the alleys and laughed.
How
pretty.
Swans
descended on the lake.
The
squirrels were hopping through the bushes.
A
puppy was running after them.
A
child was riding a bicycle.
Someone
had launched a colorful balloon that flew quickly over the park.
I
looked for the balloon.
As
a child, I used to throw balloons on my street.
The
balloons rose quickly after the currents of hot air.
It
was beautifully colored.
I
remembered them.
I
was glad to remember them. The truth is, there, on the bench, I felt
good.
Once,
I remembered, I had a bicycle.
I
really enjoyed riding my bike.
It
was a multi-speed orange bicycle.
Those
were beautiful moments.
I
was passing people at high speed.
Some
stepped aside amused.
Nobody
was upset.
I
was riding my bike and no one was shouting at me.
The
truth is, I'd love to ride a bike.
Why
not?
I
could go to the nearby store to buy a bicycle. Of
course, if I buy a bike and come for a walk in the alleys of the
park, I have to be careful not to hit the squirrels.
I'll
be careful with the squirrels.
They
are so cute!
And
of course they have all kinds of beautiful thoughts!
I
liked to think that I would buy a bicycle.
I
got up from the bench because I was numb.
I
set off.
The
alleys were sunny.
Scented
flowers flooded the alleys with their fragrance.
I
headed out of the park.
There
are lilac bushes.
They
have a strong scent.
I
saw all kinds of beautifully colored butterflies.
They
were yellow butterflies.
They
were red butterflies.
They
were blue butterflies. And
then something extraordinary happened.
I
didn't think it would happen.
I
felt something strange in my mind.
It
was very strange.
It
was like a song. Yes,
of course, it was a very beautiful song.
I'm
sure I've never heard that song before. Where
did she come from?
What
was that song?
I
looked around.
It
was nobody.
The
alley was deserted.
But
someone was singing a song that I was now hearing in my mind.
How
pretty! I
had to look around.
I
looked around very carefully.
The
song seemed to come from all directions.
That
was it.
It
came from all directions.
I
wasn't scared.
I
was upset.
Maybe
someone was making a joke.
But
there was no one around.
The
sun was preparing for sunset. Maybe
it had something to do with it.
I
have often seen a sunset that was like a song.
I
was in the mountains and I saw that.
I
heard the song of the sun.
But
it wasn't like the song I was hearing now. I
felt good.
I
was fine.
It
wasn't a mirage.
It
was a beautiful song I could hear in my mind.
I
took a deep breath.
The
song did not come from the people on the sidewalk in front of the
park.
The
song did not come from a radio.
The
song had something strange.
He
didn't have anything human.
It
was not sung by an instrument or a human voice.
I
wanted to go back to the bench I was sitting on.
Maybe
there was something there. I
had to look there.
I
decided.
I
returned.
Swans
flew across the lake.
The
squirrels were looking at me curiously.
No,
it wasn't their song.
Now,
I wonder, do swans sing?
Now,
I wonder, do squirrels sing?
I
cannot know.
But
I felt it wasn't their song.
Then,
suddenly, I felt a thought that was not my thought. Yes,
I felt that.
I
felt very clearly.
It
was a pure and soft thought.
It
was a happy thought.
It
was a very happy thought.
And
my heart started beating in a strange way.
I
looked around again.
Where
did all this come from? There
had to be an answer. I was looking for the answer. There must be an
immediate answer. I couldn't wait. I didn't want to wait for the
answer. I wanted an answer then, there. I needed that answer,
whatever it was. I thought I was ready to receive the answer. And,
just then, I heard the heart of the butterfly in my heart.
And
the butterfly came out of the air and sat on my hand. All
good and beautiful.
Only
this happened.
One
day, I found a heart.
I
don't know who lost her.
That's
what I told myself. Now see what problems I'm going to have.
But
it wasn't really like that.
Ovidiu BUFNILĂ
NOTE:
With
this story published in Australia, in Antipodean SF magazine, Ovidiu
Bufnilă leads the Australian Top.
For
a month, the writer Ovidiu Bufnilă leads the Top Australian
Antipodean SF with the story The Heart.
Throughout
the month of June, Ovidiu Bufnilă was ranked number one from day one
and remained number one until the end, with readers from all over the
world reveling in his story, which made him number one on the
literary charts for
for
30 days as long as the edition with number 273 lasted.
Nota: NOTE:
With
this story published in Australia, in Antipodean SF magazine, Ovidiu
Bufnilă leads the Australian Top.
For
a month, the writer Ovidiu Bufnilă leads the Top Australian
Antipodean SF with the story The Heart.
Throughout
the month of June, Ovidiu Bufnilă was ranked number one from day one
and remained number one until the end, with readers from all over the
world reveling in his story, which made him number one on the
literary charts for
for
30 days as long as the edition with number 273 lasted.
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