The Silent River

"May the fields be covered in flowers when we meet again. The biting wind chases after us; the years wither and flourish, and the grass and trees are without feeling. In the emerald valley, we will understand those precious days of the past. A bard and a prince, both parts of this world. May the fields be covered in flowers when we meet again. In the emerald valley, our precious past will not drift away on the wind. When the first ray of morning light arrives, we will meet on that little path, just as we did before. We will find the road back to the valley, and in the emerald valley, our precious past will not drift away on the wind."

The passengers in second class began singing again. This time, their song had a distinctly Gypsy style.

Gypsy was what others called them. They called themselves the Roma, meaning people. The world was prejudiced against them: the men were thieves, the women were witches, as if there was not a single decent person in the entire nation.

They were a nomadic people, driving caravans and bringing new ways of life to traditional places.

They championed freedom, unruliness, and rebellion. Bohemian-style clothing had been popular at Western music festivals in the seventies: layered lace, batik prints, leather fringe, handmade cord knots, embroidery, and beadwork. Bold yet decadent, they had formed their own philosophy of life over the course of wandering the world.

Nietzsche had once said, "Belated youth is lasting youth."

Young bodies would eventually grow old, but belated youth was not a natural process. It was the renewed vitality of the soul and spirit after they had matured and settled. Some people retained a youthful mindset in old age. This kind of "youth" was not constrained by the