Einws

Life is a gift that should be cherished and shared with everyone – experienced to the full and spread about indefinitely. That is what Einws seeks to do, whether it be share a smile with a stranger on the subway, wave at a curious child or exchange a short glance with the person sitting across from him in the park and fall in love for just that brief, fleeting moment. Life is so expansive and wide and unfamiliar that each day can bring a new challenge, and Einws is unafraid to face it, and give it his all. Such lustre for life is rarely seen.

Life is best faced with a plan. These plans can be found all over Einws’ belongings, scrawled on a post-it note, written beautifully in a diary with roughed-up edges from years of prior use, or a list of smudged ink written hastily across his wrist. Sometimes, these notes make little sense, and sometimes they can be as simple as ‘smile’. Such little things, seemingly unorganised and spontaneous, allow Einws to be in complete control of his own life- he remains calm, grounded, and loving.

Of course, there are often things which are unexpected and new; things which no list or well-wishing could predict. His favourite coffee shop, soaked in the scent of ginger, cocoa and chocolate shavings saw a new face that day, a lonesome man of about Einws’ age, sitting in a corner, sipping green tea, face affixed with absence as he peered out the frosty window.

It didn’t take long for Einws’ to take a seat next to the figure, and give him a gentle, introductory smile. Cumulus was the other man’s name – akin to a cloud, the man was temporal, and never stayed long in one place. He seemed detached, and his mind would wander often. A strange fixation came over the young Einws – some could say that it could be called love at first sight. It was mere intrigue, the way that Cumulus moved, the way he spoke, the way his hair just fell over his eyes and obscured their absent looks – it was all so delicate and intricate and Einws couldn’t help but get attached.

He pried further into the mystery of Cumulus, over days, weeks. It could have even taken months, but neither of them were counting. Slowly, surely, someone who seemed to be floating nine miles above the Earth came ballooning down, he became reachable and grounded. Perhaps all that time spent with Einws in that shop, sipping drinks, exchanging stories, and just sitting in the most quiet of comfortable silences had paid off.

Cumulus was now comfortable, and would laugh and smile freely, something that had seemed impossible when the two had first met. Einws’ had cracked an icy shell, which was guarded with avarice and apathy, now replaced with a semblance of care, grounding and warmth. Einws’ goal of spreading a little love in the world had been partially successful, as the two’s hearts began to intertwine and beat in rhythm. Eventually, the wandering traveller had given into the pleas and wants of Einws, and allowed him the privilege of joining his travels.

Together, the two floated in the world akin to pollen, blown in whichever way, changing as the wind did. Einws would pick up scraps of fabric here and there, weave and sew them into new garments. With them he would adorn himself, Cumulus, or anything which he deemed deserving. He would put bow-ties on the neighbourhood cats, or leave ribbons wound around the branches of an old tree.

Einws continues to love the world as passionately as he did beforehand, leaving a warm touch in the hearts of any which he would meet – but now, he joins Cumulus, and brings order to to a life which was wanton and disorganised. Einws has discovered his place in the wide world.

Written by VultureBlood (2020)