Marina swerved from the interstate and moved her car along a local road. She passed a town, and here she finally found a place for the night.
It was not a real motel building; the owner just placed a few small mobile homes in shape of the letter U, and Marina liked his cleverness. She reserved one of these trailers, and, taking a soda, she sat on the steps, adoring the beauty of this cloudless night.
A man of middle age was sitting on the porch of the next house and he addressed her, «Nice evening.»
Marina nodded continuing to drink. She was afraid he would flirt with her, but he just silently kept his eyes on the sky, and the girl calmed down.
«It would be polite if I say something as a reply,» thought Marina, but she was not in the mood for any kind of conversation, and did not compel herself to utter a sound.
«No need to talk if you don’t want to,» the man said, and his understanding touched the girl.
«Sorry,» she murmured. «It’s not you. I’m just tired, that’s all.»
He nodded.
«Look at the sky,» he told her, and Marina gazed upward.
The magic twinkling of the bright summer stars captured her completely, and, melting into their shining, Marina did not feel the tears running down her own face. For the girl, his monologue seemed as if not from a person talking to her, but from her guardian angel, or the voice of her mind.
«When I look at star stained sky,» he slowly said. «I always think how trifling all our problems are compared to the Greatest Mystery of Creation. How all our reasons to be upset are insignificant in front of the countless number of other worlds. How miserable is all our suffering in the eyes of the Eternity of the Universe. Am I right?»
Marina could not reply.
He sighed. «Good night, sweetheart. I wish you luck. It seems you really need it.»
Stiffened, Marina did not notice where the man had gone. She closed her eyes, and suddenly she believed, believed to the bottom of her soul, that she could be triumphant, and she would be for sure.
«Thank you,» whispered she, but no one was near her, and, becoming confused, the girl went into the trailer and fell asleep even before her head touched the pillow.
* * * * *
The sun was still invisible and just pinked the edge of the sky when Marina left the motel, continuing her escape from the past. Thinking about that strange man, who was talking to her last night, she walked around his trailer a few times, but dared not knock or leave a thank you note.
Sighing, she got into her car. The firm conviction that her happiness was not far away still was in her heart, and she was only sorry that she could not say thanks to the man who made her believe.