Three Stops

Three stops. One morning. But first — something the morning gave before anything was asked.

I had planned to take the 8:53 train from Frankfurt (Oder) to Müllrose. Arrive shortly after nine, when the Amt opens. Straightforward.

I arrived in Müllrose at 8:10.

I had seen the right time and not registered what it meant. Too early. The Amt closed. Nothing to do.

Maybe it is my last time here. I walked to the lake. The sun came out. I took some pictures. Took in the view. Stood there.

Just before turning back toward the Amt, at the corner of my eye — the bridge. The place where a lock was hung in 2012.

I asked myself: is it still there?

Curiosity took over. I went to check.

Still there. May 12, 2026. Fourteen years.

The first was at the Amt in Müllrose.

I explained what I needed. They asked why.

I said: my wife doesn't want me anymore.

They processed the Abmeldung. Stamped it. Sealed it.

As they handed me the paper, I noticed tears coming from their eyes.

I could not hold back mine either. I packed everything away, thanked them for their support, wished them a nice day, and left.

The second was outside Mattheo's house.

Mattheo is sixteen. We sat on a stone wall and talked about his feelings — where he is, what he's carrying. A father trying to pass something forward with the time available.

I told him about the two wolves. The Black wolf — the one that carries fear, anger, resentment. The White wolf — the one that carries love, courage, clarity. Both live inside us. The one that wins is the one you feed.

Don't let your fear rule. Follow your heart. Be conscious of which wolf you are feeding.

I told him: with everything I know now, I wish I could move the clock back. But we can't. We can only be present and move forward. That is what we have.

I had forgotten this. In the worst of this crisis, I remembered. I am feeding the White wolf now. He has been hungry for a long time.

He listened. We said goodbye. I went on to meet Sini.

The third was outside Frankfurt (Oder) Bahnhof.

I saw her from a distance. She was already crying. I opened my arms. We held each other for a long time.

We both decided, without much discussion, that Brot und Zucker was not the right place for today. She ordered hot chocolate. I had coffee. We sat outside on a stone wall.

We talked about school. About work. About what comes next. She wants to join Seawatch when she finishes school. She wants to help people — not as an idea, but as a plan. She knows where she is going.

She asked where I am. How I am.

Her tears told me she knows the cost of separation. She has carried it too.

We cried some more. Then she wanted to go home.

Now I am on the train. The fields are passing. The stamp is in my bag.

Three stops. Each asked something of me that words could not fully carry. Each answered anyway.

Day 47 — Phase 7 — Word — Bladder — Onyx — Book of Job
Gut Nisdorf, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Baltic Coast
© 2025–2026 Michel Garand | A Pilgrim's Fitness Plan | CC BY-SA 4.0
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