My Spanish friend Elena was waiting for me on platform six when my late train arrived

She was reading El amor en los tiempos del colera and was about half way through the book

I waved to her as I alighted from the train and she waved back smiling broadly

The restrictions had been eased and life in Spain was slowly getting back to normal

 

I knew that she loved me dearly but we chose remain friends as it made life easier

As I was Norwegian and lived in Bergen where I owned two bookshops

We had met when I was in Madrid attending a Lorca festival about five years ago

She had been the assistant to the director who I knew well as he had worked with me in Norway

 

After a brief affair we settled into a more sedate life as I knew that I would have to return home

We corresponded a great deal and in 2017 she paid her first visit to Norway

Where foolishly we declared our love for each other not thinking about our geography

And after two quite blissful weeks Elena had to return to Spain to continue with her university studies

 

As we hugged each other I complemented Elena on her new ingenue hair as it really suited her

But as we walked hand in hand towards the main station exit and onwards into the city

I knew that day one of my visit to Spain was nearly over and I only had twenty-seven left

This saddened me briefly but I knew that my visit was special as it had arrived after a year of pestilence