My Anonymous Friend from Spain – An Unconventional Travel Story

“The sudden breeze made the windowpane shiver. It brought back memories; it took me to that far-away world. I kept gazing at those words; I kept ruminating about the times that once made me smile amid the overwhelming loneliness. I got the lost feeling once again.”


In the year 2007, I made a trip to the land of acoustic guitar, bull fights and red wine. I was travelling with my college group for a youth exchange program. Those were the days of my life. The maple leaves, the night streets, the beautiful town halls, the amazingly clean weather of Madrid was no less than that fictional paradise for me. Spain was wonderfully surrounded by beautiful people. There was no hint of rudeness in their behaviour, they were free like birds, they were born to love. Spain was just like the solitary land of elves. 


Whenever I listen to the Godfather Theme Song, I remember Spain, I remember her. She was my online friend. We used to exchange letters and e-cards. We used discuss poetry and prose. She was a shy writer who only wrote poems for me. She was my best critic. We became friends and parted in oblivion. She went away without saying anything, I kept reading our chats with a hope that she will return. That was the end of our virtual friendship but the story continues.


I went to Spain 2 years after our break-up. I knew she was from Madrid. I completely forgot her existence. While I was enjoying in Madrid, she was silently watching me from distance, while I was travelling alone in Metro, she came to help, when I was sipping red wine in some pub in Gran Via, she was actually directing the bartenders to serve me best old wine. She was with me silently stalking me.


How words connect two people? How she came to know about my visit to Spain? Why she made it a point to give the best hospitality to someone whom she hardly met? I still get goosebumps when I remember that lady in red. I came from Spain without meeting her. I sat back in front of my computer. It was raining that day, my inbox was almost flooded with so many mails but the mail from “the lady of words” made me alive once again. Finally, she came to my virtual life. I got two consecutive mails both containing my pictures. I was stunned to see those photographs. I asked her how did she do that and her answer was simple. She said – I was always with you throughout the trip, I was the same girl with whom you were discussing about Spanish culture in Madrid Metro.


She told me to come to skype to have a video chat. All my questions were answered when I saw her. She was the same Spanish girl with whom I did a writing workshop in Delhi. She came to know about my visit through my friend and as she was there working for a newspaper agency, she made it a point to meet me. Now she is gone again but her memories still makes me smile. It was Spain that made the whole thing possible; it was that unknown encounter with my anonymous online friend whom I will never forget ever. If you are reading this, please send me a mail. I will be waiting…


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Author: Pallav Gogoi