The Faraway Town

Act 1, Chapter 4

The second leg of the travel was in Iceland, and Sam thought he'd prepared pretty well. Until his second bag failed to emerge at the airport. It had been loaded onto a plane bound for Bristol. Bristol? Madness.

He was considering giving up on his Icelandic tour altogether before one of the locals told him to get into Reykjavik and get some winter clothes cheap from one of the charity shops. This probably came in under the budget, Sam mused, knowing that he got far less for his pounds here than the rest of Europe.

He found a shop near the center of town and started pulling out old jeans, t-shirts, jumpers. Anything he could reasonably use and pack. The counter girl was surprised by the enthusiasm he had for their Viking emblazoned shirts. "You must be going on a trip round the glacier," she said, as Sam picked up one of the heavy-duty camping bags and checked for tears.

"Yeah," Sam said, grabbing a dented water bottle, "I lost all my camping stuff with the airline. They're sending it home, but it would take too long to go back and get it, or get it sent here."

"Makes sense," she said. "Have you got a glacier buddy?"

"A what?" Sam asked.

"A glacier buddy. You shouldn't be going up to the cold areas alone," she advised. "You don't know what would happen. Particularly if you actually venture out on it, and frankly I don't recommend it."

Sam nodded. "Are there any other travelers going hiking around Iceland?" he asked.

"You could always try the local hostel and ask around. Maybe one of the locals will take pity on you. That or you'll get a serial killer."

Sam stared at her.

"I mean, it's only happened the once," the shopkeeper shrugged.

"Twice!" came a call from out the back of the shop. A blonde Icelandic girl came into the shop, carrying some boxes. "Here you go," she said, "put these out and you can keep the rest."

"Thanks, Ausch," the shop girl said. "Hey, you're heading north right? Maybe you could help this...er..." she turned to Sam. "You're British right?"

"I am indeed British," Sam said, putting the accent on heavily.

"I'm heading out to the glacier, sure," Ausch said, "but I haven't got time for a holidaymaker. I'm doing a proper study on the glacier and then heading to Akureyri after."

"Oh, the faraway town", laughed the counter girl. You always go at the worst times. Snow's a coming".

"Okay, well, what about an assistant?" Sam offered. "I've got all my own gear now, I could help take your gear up and support whatever you're doing."

"Go on, Ausch," the shop girl said. "He's cute."

Ausch scowled. "Seriously?" she said. "Not the time. But," she said, turning to Sam, "I could do with the help actually. Can you cook?"

"Yeah," Sam said. "Give me ingredients and I can knock something up, for sure."

"Okay, you got the job," Ausch said. "Meet me out back in half an hour with your gear." She grabbed one of the knives on sale from the counter and put it in with a few other supplies and disappeared.

"You're sure she's not the serial killer?" Sam asked.

"If she is, I don't want to know about it," the shop girl admitted.

Sam found Ausch leaning up against an old 4x4 in the alley. "Is that a Jimny?" he said, marveling that it was still in one piece.

"Yeah," Ausch said, "that's my "Jimmy". He's a good mate, don't break him." Sam nodded and put his bags in the back, climbing up into the passenger seat. "I have two rules," Ausch said, as he clipped his belt, "my radio, my music."

"Got it," Sam said.

"The second one is, don't touch my radio."

"Okay," Sam said.

"Okay," Ausch turned the old 4x4 on, the engine rumbling into life. "Let's go."

The first day was a long drive along the south coast, before stopping off near some waterfalls for camping. Sam still had his old tent, happily, and put it up near the old Jimny.

Ausch's tent was older still, looking "proper army" as she put it, a dark green tarp with wooden poles. In fairness, when put up it looked solid enough, for sure.

She seemed pleased when Sam's tent fell down in a minor gust and was delighted when he spent the next half hour putting it back up. All the while, she was tapping away on her laptop and making notes in her notebook.

"Okay, all done," Sam said, flopping down on the grass and starfishing.

"Uh huh," Ausch said, typing away. "Okay, we have to measure a few things when we get on the glacier. Are you up for getting out on the snow?"

"Yep, good opportunity to take photographs," Sam said, pulling out his white Fujifilm and checking the settings.

"Good camera," Ausch said, almost with admiration. She turned back to her laptop.

Sam shrugged and continued to play around with the settings.

It was a few days later. Up on the glacier, the wind blew all around them, lifting their tents from their pegs, and blasting little snow tornados around them.

"This is cold. Very cold," Sam complained again.

"Shh, I'm taking data, be quiet for a moment," Ausch said, studying the ice. "This sample shows some signs...yes..." she wrote down the numbers on her pad.

Sam sighed and huddled near the Jiminy. It hadn't been the best couple of days, the cold was really getting to him. Ausch seemed used to it, for the most part, but even she had to admit the last night had been awful. They'd huddled in one tent, blocking up the draughty holes with bags and sheets, and trying to stay warm.

"It's getting dark, Ausch, we should really get back in the tent soon," Sam called to her over the wind.

Ausch nodded. "Just hang on, Sam, nearly done." She stood back to survey her notes. "Okay, I think we should probably retreat back to the tents again now."

"Whhhaaaatttt?" Sam bellowed over the increasing wind.

"TENTTTTTTTTT," Ausch yelled back.

The flurry was picking up from the ground as they fought their way back into the tent from the snowstorm.

Sam sat back, pulling his snood down, and breathed deeply. "Oh my god," he said, breathing more shallowly, "that's so cold it actually hurts."

"Yeah, breathe into the snood if you need to," Ausch said, getting the lamps on. "Makes it a bit better." She looked at Sam. "Are you doing okay?"

"Honestly? No," Sam said. "I'm very cold and I am not good at being cold."

Ausch laughed. "Yeah, I gathered! I meant, are you...okay? Checking in on you."

"You don't normally seem to care," Sam retorted.

"Well, you were looking particularly down today," she said, checking her notes again. "And we've only got a few days until we go back. So what's up with you?"

Sam hesitated. "Look," he said, "I've been going through some things. You've probably worked that out. I had a breakup recently. I'm not special, everyone goes through it in some way at some stage. I just wish I didn't feel like I was going through the motions here, and back in Greece, and probably when I travel up to Scotland next month, just waiting out life until I die and I stop feeling...whatever this is."

"Oh, I see," Ausch said, putting her notes down and looking at him. "She was special, was she? One in a million? How long did you wait until after your breakup to sleep with someone else?"

"About five days," Sam said honestly. "I felt bad for weeks after. I still feel bad now."

"Why? Do you honestly think she's worrying about you, thinking about you, wringing her hands over you? Or maybe she's getting a leg over the guy she chose over you?"

"Hey!" Sam said, but Ausch was fully in her stride now.

"I'm not trying to hurt you. I am trying to point out that she's getting on with her life. And that's what you should be doing. What do you want? To be in your forties, still hung up on the same girl you were lusting over since...I don't know..?"

"At least a decade now," Sam said.

"Ten years. What happened? Did you propose?" Ausch asked.

He bit his lip.

"You DID propose," Ausch said. "I'm sorry. That must have hurt."

"I proposed twice," Sam said, angrily. "Twice, in ten years. The most recent one felt like it was going to be a slam dunk after she said she was going to bin off the fiancée she already had for me."

Ausch raised an eyebrow. "So she was engaged...and you proposed to her?"

"Yes, that is the crux of it, and yes, I am aware how that sounds, but it wasn't that simple," Sam began.

"Let me stop you right there. So, she was engaged..."

"For about ten years," Sam said.

"Okay, I am so confused. You were seeing each other for how long?"

Sam paused. "Two years at the start, and then we lost contact, and then started again when she reached out to me. We spent some time chasing each other and kind of...I dunno...doing it behind her fiancée's back."

Ausch poked his shoulder. "How does that sound to you?"

"Pretty shitty," Sam admitted. "But I am in...was...in love with her. She was literally all I ever wanted."

"Really? But you both cheated on her fiancée multiple times over the span of a decade?"

Sam spluttered, trying to get words out. None came.

"You see, when you break it down, it looks obvious to me," Ausch said. "You're actually a good guy, I see someone who works hard, and tries to be good, and wears his heart on his sleeve. But you have a weakness for this girl, sorry, woman now, and you need to break free of it. How many girls tried to get with you over the years between your relationships with...?"

"Peta," Sam said. "Her name was Peta." "A few," he admitted. "But it always felt hollow, like I was waiting for her to come back."

"She's not coming back though, is she?" Ausch said.

"No. She's not," Sam said quietly.

"Then, maybe that recent tryst you had in - where, Greece?" Ausch said, turning back to her notes, "needs to be the start of something better. Finding someone better. Having some fun, looking, not for the 'one' which is currently Peta, all up in your head, but looking for the 'real' one...the girl who will actually choose you."

Sam sat up. This actually made sense.

"Look," Ausch said, "I spend a lot of time on my own out here. I know one thing for certain. I'd rather be alone, with the snow and the stars, than with someone who's not dedicated to me one hundred percent."

"Who hurt you?" Sam asked, gently.

Ausch hesitated. "She was my childhood friend. Let's just say that not everyone has come as far with understanding LGBQT rights," she said, finally closing the box of notes and sitting on the floor of the tent.

"I'm sorry," Sam said. "That must have been rough."

"It was, we grew up together. And she didn't feel the same way I did," Ausch admitted. "But that doesn't mean that I gave up on love, or sex, or my career. You appear to have done all three, coming out here."

"I mean," Sam said, "I didn't exactly give up on sex," and they both laughed.

"Does life feel that bad right now?" Ausch asked.

"No, actually," he responded. "I think you've helped a lot. Thanks, Ausch."

"No worries," she said. "Hey, the wind's stopped. We might get a good view of the northern lights."

Sam gingerly opened the tent. The wind had indeed died down, and it was the clearest night he'd ever seen. His jaw dropped as he stepped out, Ausch just behind him, staring up at the thousands of bright, twinkling stars.

"You're looking the wrong way, look!" Ausch said, turning him to face the other direction.

The green and purplish hues, great arms waving gently back and forth, lit the sky above them. Sam's jaw dropped, and he stood there, moved to tears, at the beauty around him.

"That's why I don't need anyone," Ausch said quietly. "The beauty of the world I live in is all I need."

"I can see why," Sam said. Ausch leaned on his shoulder as they gazed up at the sky. "Thanks, Ausch," Sam said. "For the record, you're awesome. Don't change. Maybe be less creepy when you first meet people though."

Ausch laughed. "I'll try."