Jesen U Zagreb

As she had promised, it took me just 5 minutes to fall in love with Zagreb from the moment I stepped out of the Glavni Kolovdor and made my way to the main square Trg bana Jelacica.

Fallen leaves, flowers, a slight evening chill, beautiful old buildings, the smell of warm food wafting through the air, narrow alleys, the rooftops, the courtyards, a girl hurrying past and turning to steal a glance, people strolling down the streets, sitting on the benches, vendors peddling sweet corn and chestnuts at every corner… what could be more autumn than this?

I reached Trg Bana Jelacica, and saw the clock she told me about. "Everyone knows what you are talking about when you say 'by the clock.'" Although I have to admit, I was somewhat disappointed that it was just a rather ordinary street clock. When she told me that, in my mind, I was picturing something romantic, something that would capture your imagination. Like a work of art.

I found the shop selling ties; the address I looked up on the Internet took me to a chic shop off the main square. I entered the shop tentatively. There were three salesgirls, all dressed in maroon blouses, black pants and ties. Two of them were attending to customers. The face of the third one lit up when she saw me and she came over immediately.

"Dobar dan. How may I help you?" she asked.

"Actually, I am looking for someone who works here...or used to work here..."

She looked uncertain, "I am not sure if I can help you, because I am new here... What's her name?"

"Mia."

She shook her head apologetically.

I shrugged, "Well it's all right. It has been a year. So many things could have happened in this one year... Look, why don't you pick me a nice tie? I hear that ties originate from Croatia..."

She brightened up and proceeded to offer me a few designs. I ended up buying two, and stepped out of the shop. It was slowly getting dark.

I checked into my hostel, located above a courtyard just off the main square. I freshened up before asking the reception for recommendations for dinner.

I followed the instructions to the side street Skalinska behind the Dolac Market. But I didn't go to the recommended restaurant, because I saw the salesgirl from the tie shop sitting alone on the sidewalk outside the restaurant at the corner with a glass of wine. She was still in her maroon blouse and black pants, even though her tie was off.

"Hello," I went up to her.

"Hi... you are from just now..." she looked surprised.

"Yeah, I am the guy from just now," I laughed. "May I join you?"

"Sure," she said, pushing the chair beside her out, towards me.

"Thanks...Hvala," I ventured.

She smiled, "Where did you learn to speak Croatian?"

"The girl I am looking for, she taught me."

"So you came here to look for her? Just to look for her?"

"Sounds silly right? Like all I have is her name, and where she works...nothing else. What was I expecting? To bump into her just like that at a traffic light? In a city of one million people?"

"Like in the movies...why not?" she smiled.

"Oh well..." I shrugged.

The waitress came out and handed me a menu. I ordered a glass of the wine the salesgirl was drinking.

"So, what's your name? My name is David."

"I am Mia...but I know I am not the girl you are looking for."

"Mia, huh? What a coincidence. So, nice to meet you again, Mia."

"Nice to meet you too."

"What's good here? Are you getting anything to eat?"

"I ordered Cevapcici... you know, it's like the national dish...Here it comes."

The waitress came with Mia's food.

"Looks good...Can I have that as well?" I ordered from the waitress.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What are you going to do in Zagreb? You did not manage to find her."

"I don't know. I am staying here for two more days. Tell me what I can do here. And please go on and eat. You must be starving after work."

"I am. You know, this was my first week of work. That is why I came here for dinner. To reward myself a little," she said, tucking in.

"That's a good idea. The first week is always a milestone, no? But why alone? It's Friday night, where are your friends?"

"I moved here not long ago. I am from the countryside. Most of the people I know are from work...I need to have a break after seeing them the whole week."

"I see. I am sorry if I spoiled your plans to be alone."

"No, it's not that I want to be alone. It's just that I need a break from them," she reassured me. "Besides, you are alone here too. So maybe you could use some company. It's not so good to be alone on a Friday night outside, right? When everyone else around you is laughing with friends, having fun, and you are alone, it really feels...sucky."

I laughed at her use of the word 'sucky'. "You are right."

"So, tell me about this other Mia. Where did you meet her?"

My food came. I waited until the waitress was gone before I spoke, "I met her last summer. In Dubrovnik."

"Ah...Dubrovnik. Very pretty, no?"

"It was like a dream. The perfect summer vacation."

"So you met her there...and fell in love with her?"

I laughed amidst a mouthful of the meat. "You got that."

"So summer came and left... you said goodbye, and all you got was her name, and where she worked?"

"Pretty much," I admitted.

She laughed, "I am sorry if I am being rude... but we live in the era of the Internet. We have Facebook, email, Skype, so many means of contact...and you didn't get anything else other than her name and her workplace?"

"Actually, she told me the name of the shop, and said it is very famous in Zagreb, and I looked it up on the Internet."

She looked at me, shaking her head in disbelief and laughed, placing her hand on my arm.

"Why?" she asked, when she had pulled herself together again.

"I thought it was just a summer fling. Not real. Like a dream. An illusion."

"Do you believe in dreams? Do you have dreams?" she asked quietly.

I didn't answer her.

We finished dinner in silence.

"Do you want me to show you my secret place in Zagreb?" she asked.

"If you want to?"

She smiled mysteriously. "Follow me then."

She led me back to towards my hostel, but took me through a winding alley that gently climbed up the hill. We came up to an observation deck of some sort, midway up the hill. Zagreb, as I found out, is hilly and consists of the Gornji Grad and Donji Grad, Upper and Lower Town respectively.

We stood at the railing, looking out over the city rooftops, at the Lower Town.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, it is."

"I come here whenever I need to be alone, to think."

"Do you like Zagreb?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I have always wanted to come here. Since I came here as a kid on a class trip. The city gets under your skin. What about you? What do you think of Zagreb?"

"It is really beautiful in Autumn, as the other Mia had said."

"Is she from Zagreb?"

"Yeah. She was the one who told me I should come and see Zagreb."

"So if you had planned on coming to Zagreb, why didn't you get her contact?"

"I didn't know I was going to come."

"So why did you still come? Because you realise it wasn't a fling after all? That she means more to you?"

"I don't know. Maybe I am just trying to chase after something that's long gone. Like that summer."

"Is that summer that important to you?"

"I hear the sea sometimes. Even though it must be miles and miles away. It is calling me back."

"Summer. The sea. Love in the air. People are always sad to see summer go."

" You know, like when the past year has been going badly, when nothing is going according to plan, you just think: What have I achieved in the past year? Then you start thinking about getting away from it all, about happier times. Try to remember what it was like... Maybe that is what I am trying to do here. Maybe that is why I came here. To her Zagreb. It is like the last whiff of that summer. All that's left."

"Was the past year that bad for you?"

I nodded.

"I am sorry to hear that. Things will get better."

"Let's hope so," I smiled. "So, what about you? Do you have dreams?"

She nodded.

"What are your dreams?"

"Give me your email. Or Facebook. Whatever. I will let you know, when I have achieved them," she turned, facing me.

Our eyes met, and I felt her confidence, hope and belief in the future. In her future.

She handed me a notebook, opened to a blank page, and a pen. I wrote my contact.

"You know, people are always sad to see summer end. I always ask: why? Why? Autumn is beautiful too, if only you give her a chance."

"Maybe you are right," I acknowledged. "Tell me, Mia...tell me, what's the best thing you have ever eaten in Zagreb?"

"It's this Bakalar, a cod stew at Kerempuh. Above the Dolac Market."

I smiled. "Funny, I remember Mia saying something about that."

"Maybe you will meet her there. If it's her favourite place. You know, Zagreb isn't that big...one of the girls told me that you can run into someone you know easily in Zagreb. Maybe you will run into her."

"Maybe. Hey, how do you say 'Autumn in Zagreb' in Croatian?"

"Jesen U Zagreb."

"Write me. I will be waiting," I returned her notebook and pen.

That Autumn, I was in Zagreb for 3 days. I came to Zagreb looking for her, but I found myself instead. That afternoon before I left Zagreb, I went to Kerempuh and had the Bakalar. It was the best meal I have had in a while. After that, I went back and got on with my life.

I want to be able to tell Mia my dreams too, when she writes to me.

I truly believe she will.