Travelling in the late 19th century is really something else than travelling in the 2010s. I had a lot of experiences with trains and buses in my earlier life, and my Uncle had a car to help us out if we needed it sometimes. I have travelled earlier a lot in Hungary, on class field trips, and when I was visiting my Grandparents at Mom's birthplace which was 70 kilometers away from my hometown, and I was travelling a lot in my late teens and early twenties when I was at University I took the distance of 200 kms back and forth each week. 200 kilometers took 3 hours by a bus, as we were going around each of the smaller destinations and we stopped at a city for half an hour all the time, which was making things noticeably longer.
I thought travelling by steam locomotives was much slower than a bus. It was, to be honest, but not too much noticeably. We were surprisingly fast for my taste, and I just was speechless about the beauty and quality of the older trains inside as well as in the outside. The modern high tech air conditioned all square and "cleared off shapes" trains in my time were too much dirty and less appealing for my taste and I expected the trains in this older century to be even dirtier, but I had to disappoint in a positive way. Of course, I am sure lower class train sections weren't so clean and comfortable, but I only met first class sections during the journey, as Erik always bought tickets for first class compartments. He said he did it because his little wife deserved only the best, yet I was sure it was partly true he wished to spoil me, the main reason was rather he did not wish to be bothered too much by the people around us, and he loathed crowd by the depth of his heart, and his first action after we got inside a cabin was he locked the door from the inside, so no one else should enter at all. I hoped this will make him happier as he was in a bad mood after we arrived to the train station in Paris.
Though on the train, he did not seem to be happier after we got rid of the other's presence either. He was sitting at the window with a thick book he was reading, in Russian, and he seemed to be stressed. He was wearing the fake nose and the mustache for this part of the ride, as I asked him to get rid of the human mask, and instantly closed the curtain as he sat down, so there was no chance for me to look out of the window and watch the landscape, which bothered me a bit, so I looked out to watch the corridor. I had no idea why Erik had to sit at the window at all if he was reading. What a waste of the seat by the window. I've seen people passing our compartment on the corridor, and a small boy, I think he was around 6 years old, guided by a young woman, smiled and waved at me happily, and to him I waved back.
- It is impolite for a woman to get acquainted on a train. – Erik disciplined me not even looking up from his book.
- It was only a young boy. – I snorted.
- Especially not with young boys.
- He was a CHILD. – I sighed.
- Oh, children are not taught to manners, that is another thing. – He turned the page absently.
- Why am I sensing you are jealous? – I blinked.
- Because I am. – He admitted, looking up from his book as the train left the station.
- Don't be. I am going on a honeymoon with Erik, not the guy with the thick mustache in a soldier uniform.
- Yet that one would be more beautiful on a portrait with you. – He remarked.
- But I don't love him. – I smiled. – No one but you.
- It was a stupid idea. – He sighed, not even getting comfortable by my confession.
- What? Going on a honeymoon with me?
- No. – He shook his head.
- Then? Marrying me? – I inquired with a hint of hurt.
- No! – Erik put down the book next to him on the plush seat and leaned closer to me worriedly. – Did Erik… give you that impression my love?
- A bit. – I nodded. – There was no time before when you did not get better even after I told you I loved you. I guessed you regretted the decision.
- No! – He gasped and finally jumped next to me on the seat, hugging me. – I just…. I… I am not talking about the wedding or the journey, I am just… darling would you mind if I put on the mask…?
- Erik, don't you say you have another one yet again. – I tilted my head and shuddered to the thought of those black masks.
- Not the black one. You know the one that makes Erik look like everyone else…
- You saved it? – I giggled.
- For… emergencies. Yes. Juti please… understand that… I am rather uncomfortable by this… disguise. You know it isn't helping my appearance much. I just look like a corpse with a shiny nose.
Well, Erik should have used the word "transparent" instead of "shiny" as I just got the line "Rudolf the red nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose" stuck in my head right after he expressed his concern regarding his looks and I was desperately trying not to burst out of an unladylike laughter right into his face, especially after I pictured him with a red round lighting nose. I bit my lips, trying to hold it in, and covered my mouth, but Erik knew I was laughing.
- What is so damn funny huh? – He leaned closer with a hint of annoyance.
This was the point it just burst out of me, and I whined with laughter, trying to stop.
- Sorry I did not mean… - I dried my eyes and looked at him. – I don't mind if you wear your human mask.
- Thank you. – Erik smiled finally and kissed me on the forehead. He learned to understand if I laughed at something it wasn't always because I made fun of him. I did not want him to think I was laughing at him though, so I briefly told him what came to my mind, and he wasn't getting angry. He just shrugged and admitted it really sounded funnier in this context, yet he did not feel like laughing.
He removed his suitcase from the shelf and was searching in it for that horrid rubber professor face and closed the curtain to the door as well. He did not pull the curtain away even after he finally put on his mask, so we were sitting in a darkened compartment. I did not really like the fact, as he started reading again. I wondered how on earth he could read by only the light coming through the small gap between the window and the curtain. It was broad daylight, yet it was already insufficient for me to see a thing in a book. Hoping he will finally get enough of darkness, I tried to pull it away from at least the window, but Erik asked me not to.
- Then what shall I do? I can't watch the landscape because you closed the curtains.
- Then read.
- At first, I can't because the books I wanted to pack suddenly disappeared.
- You wanted to bring half of the bookcase.
- I want my Kindle. – I sighed to myself. - But anyway I can't read because you. Closed. The. Curtains.
- Read. On. Your. Phone. – He imitated my exaggerated emphasis.
- I can't because I ought to save the battery. – I explained. – There is no power and the battery won't last for weeks. It can hardly work for two days straight and you closed the curtains. At least we could do something improper if you hid us from the outside glances. – I winked.
- The activity you are implying would be extremely uncomfortable on a moving train.
- What? Kissing? – I giggled.
- Kissing?
- Yes, it is improper to do in public as well, no? – I shook my head while giggling. – It's not always about f-ing.
- I am going to wash your unclean little mouth out by soap. – Erik shook his finger at me.
- You may wash it three times thirty, yet my mind still remains dirty! – I spat out in a fit of giggle.
- God, you are coming up with sillier poems day by day. – Erik shrugged with a small laugh. – Is there a chance you will save me from them?
- I promise you won't hear another one until Metz.
- Which is the next station. – He shook his head, hugging me close to himself.
- Finally you are in a better mood? – I inquired.
- Yes, you made me feel better. I was just uncomfortable about other people seeing me in the fake nose. With such a beautiful young lady… people were whispering things…
- Don't listen to them, they are jealous.
- What? How could they be jealous of an ugly man?
- Jealous. – I repeated. – They envy my husband who isn't plain and ordinary like their husbands. Their husbands are just either bourgeois, or even worse. Their husband can't compose an opera and build up a palace. Mine can. – I looked at him with unhidden admiration.
- Your husband often thought he would give his ability to build a palace for a face like everyone else. – He kissed my cheek, but smiled. – Yet it is kind of you to say so.
- Erik, it comes to mind… I always wanted to ask this… would you have given… even your voice?
- Do you mean if I chose I had a face like everyone else for the quality loss of my voice?
- Yes.
- Depends. – He sighed and scratched his head as he would considering the possibility. – Would I have a nose?
- Yes, the most handsome nose you could imagine.
- Hm. – He nodded. – And would that quality loss mean I could not sing?
- You would be able to sing as an ordinary person without musical training perhaps.
- Isn't it too much for a nose in return?
- Maybe this is exactly why you are so good at singing no? There is special resonance in your head.
- Maybe. – He shrugged. -Hard question. – Erik stared absently in my eyes. – Now as music and singing are very important to me, and it was always my language of choice I'd say I would not give my voice for a nose.
- And me? – I tested.
- You what?
- Would you give me for a nose? My life.
- No. – He shook his head firmly, then gasped and hugged me close, being afraid of losing me right away.
- You… you love me more than your OWN VOICE? – I got surprised. – Sacrificing your voice was at least in consideration for a few seconds.
- But of course I love you more than my own voice.
- And you love me more than music? – I hugged his neck longingly.
- I do. – Erik nodded, stroking my hair lovingly. – And you know how much of a compliment it is from a musician's lips. Being a musician yourself. – He kissed my forehead.
- Would you even quit music for me?
- I would if it was necessary. – He nodded seriously. – Though if I had to live without music, it would most likely cause my death. – He added. – Though I would gladly die for you.
- Oh Erik…- I started, but he put his long thin finger on my lips.
- What shall I do to you so you will shut your mouth for some minutes, my darling, hm? Oh ho! – He chuckled. – I know…
He leaning close to my face and kissing me passionately on the lips numerous times, I knew now it was a wise decision to close those curtains.