The talking on the bus hummed inside Roisin's head. She either couldn't understand what the people were saying or she didn't care. Her thoughts were focused on the past year. So many things had happened and she often wondered how she got her masters during that time. Gryphin, her brother, was dead. The more she thought about it the more real it felt. Roisin shouldn't be thinking about any of this at all. She was in Germany celebrating her acceptance into the Ph.D. program at Ohio State. She was also celebrating her brother's life instead of mourning his death. It was his dream to go to Germany before his death and just like he wanted she promised she would do it for him instead. Roisin felt it was her duty to fulfill his dream. She hugged the coffee tin closer to her midsection at the thought. The metal was cool against the inside of her arms.
Roisin saw her stop flash across the screen at the front of the bus and started hitching her bag over he shoulder and tucking the tin inside. When the bus came to a full stop she pulled her backpack down the aisle and made her way to the exit. She looked around and sadly smiled, Hohenschwangau, Germany. The first couple of weeks she backpacked across Germany seeing places like Schwarzwald, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Düsseldorf, Hanover, Nuremburg, and everything in between. She went inside museums, hotels, and restaurants that pleased her palate. She tried to enjoy it but it seemed so empty without him here to share it with her. This town was her last stop for the next three months. Roisin had rented a cottage for her remaining time so she could at least relax. She was going to sip tea and paint her heart out. By no means was she a professional artist but the act of painting just soothed her soul something she very much needed before starting the long doctoral process.
So she walked with her backpack over her shoulders and her sling bag across her chest, taking in the sights of this town that seemed to be frozen in time. It was something out of a Grimm fairy tale. Although the buildings were crafted with such detail that not even she could deny their beauty it was the castle up the mountainous hills that held her attention. It stood resolute and darkly medieval against the backdrop of the town, lonely. She loved the sculptures along the top balconies and the towers. They stabbed wearily into the light blue sky, protecting the small town. She couldn't believe how beautiful it really was. She smiled, perfect scenery for my paintings.
The town, which was relatively small compared to all the huge cities Roisin had visited these past few weeks, was situated close to beautiful lakes. She could understand why it was one of the most beautiful places to visit. Her travel agent said if you want to experience nature and history that this was the place to stay. Two castles were in the area, Schloss Hohenschwangau and Schloss Neuschwanstein both built by King Ludwig II.
Roisin walked around town making her way to a bread shop to pick up a snack and possibly stumble through German to get directions to her cottage. She decided to walk to the cottage she was renting for the summer. She had her canvases and painting supplies shipped ahead of time. She took the directions she got at the bakery. The pastry she had gotten there was warm and sweet. It made her jaw clench deliciously. The walk was quiet and the nature sounds seemed to sooth her thoughts that plagued her only a couple of hours ago. The smell of pines filled her up and the sun was warm on her face.
The petite house that sat on the hill was cute with a white picket fence around its borders. The terra cotta walls were covered in flowery vines. Roses were bushed out everywhere and herbs were filed in rows along the east wall. She hurried her pace to reach this house that dreams were made of. The anticipation that filled her to the brim had her wanting to know how the inside looked.
Roisins's hand grasped the brass knob tightly the key turning quickly to open the lock. The threshold beckoned her as she stared intently at the opening. She walked in and was impressed at its simplicity but also its sophistication. She settled in her room and put away her supplies so she could finally have a cup of tea. This is exactly where she was supposed to be.
