For Samuel it was a dream coming true. Just travelling around the world now that he still had the time. After finally getting his high school diploma, the now 18 year old adult decided to make his own life choices, the first one being a long holiday during his gap year. In a couple of months he'd have to attend university, to make another step in his life, but for now, his mind was set on what he'd always wanted.
His travels weren't guided, there was no one around him to support him. Of course, sometimes he contacted his parents to support him financially, when he was stranded in a run-down hotel in a foreign country again, but that didn't happen too often. In most cases, he was able to stay at the homes of the many different individuals he met during his travels. After having passed through all of Europe already, he was now in the Middle-East. The Middle-East was probably the region with the most hospitable people living in it.
After following a road across the plain landscape, with sometimes a car passing here and there, he reached another village. Walking along the main street, it was roaming with people. All were chatting, the cars present were honking frustratingly, and from a distance he could see a big market on the main plaza of the town.
Wandering around on the market, most stalls were selling foods, like fruits, cheeses and teas. The aroma of the combination of smells made Samuel feel light-headed. Here and there he could also see small souvenir stalls and shops, selling typical Middle Eastern products, it attracted a surprising amount of tourists despite that, making him realize that he wasn't the only one backpacking during his gap year, only he found it shocking how many foreign people there were only in this town already. It wasn't as if they were each following the same route.
Just out of curiosity, he approached one of these souvenir stalls, wondering what exactly they were selling. He looked around in amazement. What the stall was selling as souvenirs wasn't exactly special, more so it was pretty common stuff he saw. Here and there he spotted paintings and pictures of the same plains he walked around for hours just minutes before. Otherwise he could see chessboards, making him realize that it wasn't at all a game invented in the West. More exotic things he found in the stall were things like daggers, lying comfortably in their beautifully decorated shafts. They metal would be mostly dull though, and there was a very high probability that you wouldn't be allowed out of the country with such a thing in your suitcase or backpack. On a table in the left corner of the stall lay once again beautifully decorated items such as goblets and some of those magic lamps you saw the genie pop out of in the movie Aladdin. Samuel grinned, very fitting to the Middle East, now that he thought about it.
The owner of the stall was finished with helping, or more likely, screwing a customer, and then quickly turned to Samuel, with very broken English:
"You like the lamps sir?"
Samuel, a bit startled by this man's sudden confrontation, answered quickly.
"W-What? No I'm just looking, thank you."
"Are you sir? Only low money!"
Samuel could just as well go with it, he wanted to gift his parents something once he returned to this already amazing journey.
"It is real, sir! A true magic lamp."
"No it's not." Samuel answered.
The shopkeeper looked down, as if agreeing with that statement, but also quickly trying to make up an excuse to still sell one of his items to him.
"Alright, how about this? Look how beauty!" The man was very energetic. He got ahead of himself though, already thinking he sold it, stretching out a hand, while pretty much begging for money being handed to him. Samuel didn't really care, he started with a safe bid, considering his limited supply of Arabian riyals. The last time he exchanged his dollars with them, was already a couple of days ago, when he was still in a big city. In fact, these were left over from the costs of staying in a hotel in that city.
Samuel looked at the 'magic' lamp in front of him and pointed at him, making a bid. "10 Riyal", He said, while waving a note with the same count with his left hand. The man behind the stall counter first looked disappointed, but agreed at the first offer, from which Samuel concluded he bid too high this first time already. "Deal sir, have fun!" "Thank you."
Samuel looked at it in vain, then put off his backpack and put the souvenir in it. Looking on his analog watch, which was gladly still working, he saw it was late already, and probably soon getting dark.
After having had a small dinner from another one of those stalls, this time a food stall of course, Samuel walked into a more residential area of the town. All houses were pretty much the same, with their white walls and flat rooftops. Here and there Samuel could see laundry hanging on those rooftops, or over the streets. Having tried knocking on a couple of doors where the lights still seemed to be on, but no one opening the door, obviously, he was already stranded in a more remote area. The houses here were smaller, and there was more litter in the streets. Despite that, Samuel kept walking, here and there knocking on a door of a house with the lights on. Close to giving up, he heard a reaction from behind the door of one of the houses furthest away from the town center. Opening the door, was a girl of around his age, probably slightly older. Despite that, she still had to look up to him as he stood in front of her.
The thing most recognizable of her was the fact that she was wearing a hijab. Even though Samuel had already seen it everywhere on the streets, it still looked very odd to him, having grown up in a western country. In the background he heard the noise of a man calling her. She turned her back to Samuel for a moment to answer, the man had probably asked who was at the door.
He soon arrived at the door, and Samuel started a conversation. "Uh, hello", He began. You could immediately see the mind of the couple change settings to turn to speaking English. Samuel continued, "I was... hoping I could stay here for a night. I haven't found a place to sleep yet." The young man in front of him, processed the sentence first, then gave a welcoming smile. His English was far less broken than that of the salesman at the market. "Yes of course mister! Come in. Welcome!"
Samuel walked in, the door closing behind him. The lady gestured him to follow, and so he did. Inside the small house, it was looking much less like a run-down building, which amazed Samuel. The house had electricity, it was quite warm inside, and looking at the cozy kitchen, it had a water tap as well, which indicated the house had running water connected to it.
Samuel was offered a seat, and he thankfully plumped down onto it. During that process, the young woman had already brought a plate with two cups and a traditional kettle on it. She looked at Samuel, then at the plate, and walked to the kitchen again to open one of the drawers, bringing out a third cup.
Samuel was dead-tired already, and didn't know how long the house owners wanted him in the living room. The TV was on, showing an Arabian news channel. The woman silently sat down on another chair, closest to his. Samuel looked at her, she smiled at him friendly, he smiled back hesitantly, and they both went on watching the TV.
After about two minutes of sitting in silence, the man walked into the living room, and spoke to Samuel. "I have made a place for you in an empty room. Feel free to sleep there anytime. You can make use of the bathroom as well." Samuel thankfully nodded. He quickly drank up his tea, and then casually said goodnight to his hosts. After getting ready, he went to the empty room, "the room furthest back in the hallway, on your left."
Samuel now cared only about a good night rest. He picked up his backpack, only to throw it to the ground in the room again, and jumped into bed, still with his travelling clothes on. Lastly, hearing a faint chatting in a foreign language from the couple that granted him a stay in this house, he quickly dozed off.
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That night, the shockwaves passed through the Earth.