I lit a cigarette and offered her one. She declined.
“Do you have a problem with me smoking?”
She shook her head and impatiently asked me to begin narrating.
I started “Well our town prides itself on being one of the most ancient places around these parts. It is situated atop a hill, and it is renowned for its step culture fields. Up until 60 years ago, the town was small with just enough people to be self-sustainable. But with the kids eventually growing up into adults and starting their own families, the town grew in size to a point where it was no longer self-sustainable. The people needed to interact with the neighbouring towns and the big city downhill.
With me, so far?”
She nodded her head enthusiastically , but her restless eyes betrayed her incomplete interest in my words and the possibility of something far serious on her mind. Her constant glances at her watch didn’t help either. But she was interested enough to see herself through to the end of the story and signaled for me to continue.
“So that brings us to our object of interest - The bridge. You see, before this bridge was built, it had taken close to 8 hours to travel to the closest town. People had to walk down an old winding path through the fields. Initially, it had not been an issue of much concern, but with the increasing population, there was a need to establish a path that allowed easier travel on a daily basis. The bridge might seem purposeless now but if it weren’t for the bridge, there is a good chance the town might have even ceased to exist.”
These words of mine seemed to have a genuine impact on her. There was something about her demeanour and her careful attention to my words that unsettled me. There was a thought forming in my head, but it still was very cloudy and not quite within my grasp yet. The same thought, driven by an unknown instinct which had made me come sit next to her.
“So what you mean to tell me is that, this bridge essentially kept the town alive and relevant?” She asked with a certain intensity.
“More or less, I guess” I was surprised by her intensity. I flicked the cigarette into the woods below and continued.
“But the funny thing is, most people wouldn’t even think twice about this bridge. It would just be a trivial part of their journey to and from the town. But to the rare few, this bridge is as important a place as the town itself. It’s a place with of significance. A place that played a part in making their lives easier and comfortable. A place of support and progress.