The visitor

The small public houses are open for everybody. There is at least one in every single village in England. The third class pubs are usually visited by lower middle class people and sometimes low class people. You can meet all kinds of people there-Lovers, losers, widows, drunken dipsomaniacs, prostitutes and also high class beggars and good for nothing gamblers.

The Visker’s tavern in old Henrich is also in such appearance. You can meet all those people in Visker’s too. Visker’s is usually crowded. But no one knows about other but the barman who runs the place and some servers. Regular prostitutes visits the place daily as a habit. The only thing you miss at Visker’s is the silence.

Among the regular visitors of Visker’s is a girl of twenty one. Brown haired, fair one named Esmeralda.

Esmeralda is no special person for the other regulars because everyone has seen her. No one questioned why such a young child went in a such a wrong way. No one cared or worried. She was always sacrificed to fulfil someone’s pleasure and brutal desire.

In a cold winter evening in the late December a new visitor opened the doors of the Visker’s tavern. The man was about twenty eight years old, weak fellow with a poor outer appearance. No smile was in his dirty face. His cheeks and chin was covered with a three weeks old beard. The old clothes he wore were torn and dirty. Only his blue colour eyes had a warm look.

Among the first people who noticed his arrival was Esmeralda. At last she owns a customer. Now she can earn some money to get something to eat for the dinner
The man moved slowly to the barman. The rough looking bartender who cared only about money didn’t even notice him. The man sat on a stool and waited until the bartender returns. He ordered a glass of local whisky, a strong stuff for rough tongue. His wish was granted and a dust covered bottle and a glass appeared before him. He poured a glassful and drank it slowly and weakly.

The twenty one year old girl watched him drinking. At first she thought of going straight at him. But for some strange reason she couldn’t do it. Her heart seemed to be heavy and lost.

‘It’s just imagination. Why? He is only a customer and you have done it hundreds of times. Why trembling now?’

The man not seemed to be stop drinking. Two hours passed and now it is about ten o clock at night. Slowly the pub started to fill with women dressed half naked. Leaving the poor low class men and some others alone others left the pub one by one. But the stranger who had already finished a bottle and a half of whisky still remained calm and quiet on his stool wandering.

Only those who wished to have some time with the women were now left in the pub. It is easy you know, come to the pub at this hour at night and you will be surrounded by all kinds of women. ‘So he didn’t leave. Which means he needs a woman.’ Thought Esmeralda. What is she waiting for? Until someone else go and get him? Surely she doesn’t want to sleep hungry tonight also.

Slowly she stood up from where she sat walked toward the empty stool next to the man. He looked up to see the girl who just sat next to him. As she smiled to him he too tried to fake out a ‘kind of a smile’

“A whisky for me too Morgan” Esmeralda said to the barman who frowned at her and whispered “You better have money this time babe! You owe me twenty pounds already.”

“Not now Morgan, I will definitely settle it tomorrow” Said Esmeralda under her breath with a frown. Morgan the barman stormed away.

“So,” Esmeralda finally talked to the stranger when they are finally got alone. “I was looking at you all the time since you moved in.You surely know the taste of the whisky don’t you? Say, I have never seen you in this pub, that’s for sure. You are new to this village?”

“I don’t like the taste, it’s just the whisky that I like” The man said looking at the bottle shelves in front of him.


“I am Esmeralda”

“I didn’t ask”

“Sure. Nobody asks my name. They just think it is only a waste of time.” Esmeralda said with a grin.

The man looked at the young girl. “I am sorry if I hurt you. I didn’t mean it, it just came to my mouth.”

“It is alright” She smiled.

“So what is your name?” Esmeralda asked.

“It is Peter, my name is Peter” He said with a sigh. “Poor tragic rascal Peter.”

“So Mr Pete, why are you drinking so much?”

Peter looked straight in Esmeralda’s eyes. “You, you are the first one to ask my name after something like four years” He ignored her question and kept on saying “Who are you young lady and what are you doing in a place like this in an hour like this?”

“Oh that is no problem for me. My name, as I told you before, is Esmeralda and I am a professional hooker” she smiled.

“Oh I didn’t expect an answer like that. I am sorry!”

“It is okay. So tell me is there any way I can help you?” Esmeralda asked.

“You can’t help me Miss Esmeralda. No one can help me now. I am completely lost. I have nothing left with me.”

“Are you a beggar?” asked Esmeralda doubtfully “I mean a low class person?”

“Young lady” Peter answered “I had a life long ago. I was in a family that was known as a high class family among the high class society. Eventfully I lost my everything. My home, my parents, my friends, everything. The only sin I have done was loving a woman who was not know as a high class person”

“How come love can be so cruel?”

“Peter gave a sarcastic smile. “You are a hooker. You know nothing about love. I thought that she means everything to me, more valuable than gold or diamonds. A person who can complete me, make me strong, make me perfect.
But I was wrong. She didn’t care for me as much as I did for her. At least she didn’t even love me. It was all a magic. It was my power and my money she loved. After I lost everything because of my love for her, she abandoned me, seen that she has no use of me anymore. When I have realised that I was too late. Everything that I have done had been mistakes that I could never mend again. I lost both my life and my lady.”

“She betrayed you didn’t she? I am so sorry sir” said Esmeralda with a sigh. Peter again lifted his head and looked at her.

“You don’t have to worry. I am done now. That is why I am better off alone travelling from country to country until I die. Now I can’t even think of a future and a new beginning. I do not have them in me anymore. Some day, I don’t know, the gods will feel pity about me and will fix things up for me. This world is not a bed of roses young lady. It is nothing but a dark forest with people whose minds are like of hideous beasts. Don’t make the same mistake that I made.”

"But you mustn’t give up sir. A young person like you has a long life ahead” said Esmeralda.

Peter smiled “That is kind of you to say such a thing. But dear lady I am afraid that I am too late now.” He again closed the whisky glass to his lips.

Esmeralda listened to his tale quietly. The inside response of her towards Peter had now changed. First she saw hi as a normal drunkard similar to a common regular that she sees everyday. But now she sees him in a very different corner. A lover, a real true lover. A person who lost everything for a love that he believed to be real.
She felt more closer to Peter. What kind of a strange feeling is this? She was sure that she never felt such a feeling towards any bastard who slept with her in her whole life. Is this sympathy or is this something more than that…?

The time was about eleven thirty now. Still some women were crawling in the pub. The barman usually closed the pub by twelve o clock.

“Tell me about you young Miss Esmeralda. What made you rush in to this profession? I can’t help feeling that you are a very nice and a decent person.

Surely no one had ever asked this question from Esmeralda before.

“I lost both my parents when I was three. I was an only child. I was raised up by one of my uncles. They were not very nice people. After all they used me as a servant, used to beat me and punish me for everything. Life was like hell to me. I always went to sleep at night with tears in my eyes. So, one day I made up my mind to run away. I spent days without food moving from one city to another, fearing that they may come looking for me and find me. That is when I came to this village. Here I met some hookers. Eventfully I became one of them doing what they did. That is how I ended up in this pub. Here I am now, Always waiting for someone to go away with.”

Peter listened quietly. “Is this what you really want, to be a hooker?” He asked

Esmeralda looked into his eyes and softly smiled.

“Each time I do it,” she said “I curse myself for what I am. But the world gives me no other choice. I have to do it because, because there is no other way.”

“Personally Esmeralda,” Said Peter “I believe that you can be a lot more than this. I see it in your eyes. You are a young girl with a whole life ahead of YOU. Don’t waste it like this.”

“Really” asked Esmeralda with an innocent smile “Thank you!”

“Okay fella’s” Shouted the Barman. “Fun’s over. We are closed now. Go to you homes”

“Well,” Grinned Esmeralda. “Seems like we have to go now.”

Peter paid the Barman and stood up “That is for this young lady too.” He said to the Barman. “Now you are no longer a debtor.”

Esmeralda smiled. “Thank you!” She said politely

“Good bye then Miss Esmeralda”

“Okay”

“I think we both have to go” Peter smiled.

“Yeah”

Both of them came outside. Everyone went away and the Barman closed the bar door and left. The Bar door held the notice ‘closed’.

Okay then Esmeralda.” Peter said.

“Good night Mr Peter. I hope to see you around again some time, If you are not in a hurry to leave this town very soon of course!”

Peter gave a smile. “Good night Esmeralda” He turned around and in that sudden he turned back. “Er, Miss Esmeralda, look, I don’t know your going rates. But I do have thirty pounds with me. I would like to give it to you before I go. Please accept it on my behalf.”

He put his hand into his pocket and out he took some coins.

“But why? I didn’t offer you any service. Besides thirty pounds is lot of money.” Said Esmeralda with a surprised face.

“Please, as a token of my friendship.”

Esmeralda paused for a while starring at the money in his hand. “Okay I’ll accept it. Thank you Mr Pete. You are such a real gentleman.”

“Good bye!” Peter turned around and started walking away slowly.

Esmeralda waited for a moment starring at the coins in her hand. Then she too turned around and started walking at the opposite direction. She could hear Peter walking too. His foot steps were fading away.

‘What a strange feeling is this?’ thought Esmeralda. She felt as if she saw a light in the complete darkness and suddenly it gone away. A very comfortable sensation was rushing through her head. She could now even hear the thumping sound of her own heart. She was sure that she never had this kind of an experience in her entire life. She knew that all her life was nothing but misery. Until now she believed that her fate has abandoned her and there will be no happiness for her whole life. All the sudden, now she starts to feel different. ‘What is happening to me? I feel like all my troubles have but all gone.’

Yes she now sees a light, a light that she never saw when she lived all these years in the entire darkness. But why now?

“God” Esmeralda stopped walking. Her arms were shaking. “Why the earth I didn’t do it? Why-when I had the chance-why?!”

She knew that chances never repeat themselves. Perhaps she may have lost her chance. Or maybe…

“Esmeralda”

She was so happy to hear that surprising call of a familiar voice in such an unexpected moment. She felt as if all her body was in fire. Her heart was beating as if it went insane.

“Peter”

She turned around .There he was about ten meters away from her, standing in the lonely street starring at her.

“I know that I am a looser. I am not a prince, I have nothing with me, and all these times I thought that I am lost forever. But seen you tonight, taking with you for a while made me realise how much I have missed all ready. I saw that I am not alone. Now I see a new light out from the complete darkness. You brought me back Esmeralda, you did. And now, more than ever I believe that life is worth living…” He paused for a while.

“I love you Esmeralda!”
He cried.

“I love you too Peter!”
She whispered.




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