Woodland ghosts

Manuel Roca walked down the shopping mall main aisle observing people in search of another useless item to buy. He noticed that most of these shopaholics bore a suffering facial expression like they were going through their hundredth day at a loss. Maybe, he thought, their entire lives are at a loss. He walked on only to lock himself away inside his ‘sacred spatial bubble’ which he has crammed with books, radio, music, writing, hours of sport and delicate nostalgia for the beauty of Nature. In his bubble, Manuel Roca holds conversation with the books’ authors; he feels that what he reads could be more than a means to know and express the real. Sometimes, he thought that words from books described the only reality. He could certainly affirm that an ever increasing solitude constituted the fundamental aspect of his life. He acknowledges that the term solitude occurs many times when he writes. Manuel Roca wanders whether there is a good solitude and a bad solitude. He is convinced the two types exist. The bad solitude can kill. The good one helps to live, in a different manner, but it does. It permits to come across life moments and sensations that only the lonely person can experience; to fill a white paper of writing; to listen to music; to read a great book or walk in woodland accompanied by one’s ghosts. Ultimately, Manuel Roca asks himself, why is solitude considered so fearful? He is the only inhabitant of his own body; outside him the soaking wet fog breath has erased the surroundings. He does not fear to adventure himself in the urbanity of the society. He feels repaired and sheltered behind his very eyes.
Not many days left before Pecol. Manuel Roca is exhausted after days of hard training. Soon he will begin the recovery period; when his body will absorb all the recent heavy training. He is only a dabbler but he is acting the part of a pro. He completely went off the few bad habits he had to focus on the cycling event. Flirting with his bike daily has turned into an exciting custom that he will not barter for anything else in the world. This is the period of the year in which Manuel Roca is very aloof. He does not want to see many people in order not to lose concentration on his prime objective; Pecol. He is not self-important; on the contrary, Manuel Roca is a very modest person. The reason behind his behaviour stems from the passion for his bike and for his love for the physical exercise.