The Mysterious Journey

Several years ago, on a cold winter night, James appeared at our house. We were just about to go to bed after dinner. James, an old friend who lives in San Antonio, arrived suddenly.

“What’s up? Why are you here at this hour?” I asked.

James smiled and said, “I’ll tell you. But first, give me something to eat. I’m starving.”

“What do you want to eat? How about some biscuits and gravy?”

“Oh no, that gives me indigestion. Can you make some rice?”

“Alright, I’ll put some rice on the stove. How about egg curry?”

“No need for all that fuss. Just give me rice with an egg. If you have butter, even better. I’ll have it mixed with hot rice and a boiled egg.” With that, he took off his clothes, put on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, and lay down on my bed. Then he said, “You travel a lot. Have you ever been to Austin?”

“No. Why do you ask?”

“I got a strange letter. I have to go to Austin tomorrow. Will you come with me? I’ve never traveled alone. Once I went to Houston with my parents when I was a kid.”

“I don’t mind going, but it’s hard to get on a bus without a reservation these days.”

“Don’t worry about that. My brother-in-law works at the Greyhound station. I’ve already arranged two tickets on the next bus. If you come with me, it’ll be great. Otherwise, I’ll have to go alone.”

“Why do you suddenly have to go to Austin? What kind of letter did you get?”

“Here, take a look.” He handed me a letter from his coat pocket. It had an “On United States Government Service” stamp. I took the letter out and read it. Then, happily, I said, “This is from the radio office. You applied to sing gospel songs on the radio, and they’ve called you for a voice test. The test is the day after tomorrow. If we leave on the bus tomorrow night, we’ll arrive the morning after, take the test at two in the afternoon, and catch a bus back by evening. We’ll be back in San Antonio by morning. It’s only a two- or three-day trip.”

“Yes, but the strange thing is, why would they call me to Austin for a voice test when I applied to the Dallas center? And more importantly, I never applied to sing on the radio.”

“Then there’s nothing to discuss. Just tear up the letter and relax here for two days. Read some books, watch a movie, and enjoy.”

“I would have done that, but take a look at this letter.” He handed me another letter and watched my face quietly as I read it.

The letter read: “Dear James, I’m Ben. You might not remember me, but I haven’t forgotten you. You used to hum songs sitting on the last bench in school, and I used to listen in awe. Remember how our teacher, Mr. Clark, scolded you for singing one day? Anyway, I’ve bought an old house in East Austin. It’s a predominantly Hispanic area, but that’s not a problem. I’ve submitted an application in your name to the local radio center. Come over; I know people here. You’ll get a few calls, and I can arrange a transfer to the Dallas center for you. I heard you’re still not married, you fool! If you can, bring your friend John. He’s just like you, always wandering around.”

I was quite surprised. “How strange! He mentioned my name too. But you and I didn’t go to the same school, though we went to the same tutoring classes. Who is Ben? I don’t remember anyone by that name.”

“Neither do I. Who is Ben? But the letter is written as if he knows us both very well.”

“Is someone trying to blackmail us?”

“What’s the point? We’re not going there with bags of money. What will they gain by blackmailing us?”

“I think we should quietly ignore this matter.”

“Look, I haven’t sung in a long time, so I can’t sing. I don’t even have a guitar anymore. But believe me, this invitation has stirred something in me. Let’s go and take the test. What if I pass? Ben’s situation is mysterious, but we might know him. And how did he get my address? We recently moved to a new house in San Antonio, and he shouldn’t know this address.”

“I still say, give up this idea. Instead, if you want to go somewhere, let’s take a short trip.”

“Then I have to go alone.”

“Oh, come on! You’re misunderstanding me. What I mean is, think about it. The radio is a government institution. Your signature isn’t on the application. Someone else signed for you. Isn’t this a fraudulent act? If caught, it’ll be a scandal.”

“So be it. I’ll still go. And I’ll see who this Ben is.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Despite my warning, my curiosity was also piqued! We spent the night chatting and went for the reservations in the morning. Thanks to his brother-in-law, we easily got two tickets on the bus to Austin. We took extra money with us and planned to visit Fredericksburg or Waco after finishing our work in Austin. It was late November, and it wouldn’t be bad to explore Texas’s tourist spots in the biting cold.

The next night, we boarded the bus to Austin, enjoying the hot barbecue and cornbread at a stop along the way. It felt like spreading wings after being freed from a cage. Wrapped in blankets to ward off the cold, we had an enchanting night, sometimes awake, sometimes asleep.

The bus reached Austin late at night. We got off the bus in the freezing cold, crossed the parking lot, and deposited our tickets at the gate before heading to the waiting room. It was crowded with people wrapped in blankets, sleeping on the floor in the severe cold.

Unable to find a place to sit, we wandered around and eventually went outside to a nearby coffee shop. The sky was filled with stars, and the city of Austin was adorned with lights. The hot, thick coffee in ceramic mugs provided immense comfort in that cold new environment.

As we were drinking coffee, a bicycle rickshaw pulled up, honking, “East Austin?”

“No, West Austin,” we replied.

“Get in.”

After finishing our coffee and paying the bill, we said, “We’ll go, but not in the dark. We’ll go at dawn.”

“What will happen if you go now? Do you think I’ll take you somewhere else and get you killed for a few dollars?”

“No, no, that’s not what we mean. It’s just that we’re new here. We might have trouble finding the address in the dark.”

“There will be no trouble. Mr. Ben has instructed me to bring you safely to his house.”

We were both taken aback. “How did you know we’re going to Mr. Ben’s house?”

“He told me two guys from San Antonio would come. He instructed me to bring you safely.”

“But how did he know we’d come by this bus?”

“People who come to visit Mr. Ben usually arrive by this bus.”

“Oh, I see. But how did you know we were the ones?”

“When I mentioned West Austin, you said East Austin. That’s how I knew.”

We exchanged glances and silently agreed to get into the rickshaw.

We rode through the brightly lit streets of Austin, shivering in the cold, as the rickshaw honked and sped through various paths towards East Austin. After a long journey, the rickshaw entered a dark alley. While the main roads were well-lit, this alley was pitch dark. The rickshaw finally stopped in front of a house and started honking continuously.

“Is this the house?”

“Yes, this is Mr. Ben’s house.”

We knocked on the door, calling out, “Ben. Ben.” After a few calls, we heard a response from inside.

“Yes, just a minute.”

We waited for the door to open. Suddenly, we realized the rickshaw was gone. Where did it go? We hadn’t even paid the fare. We saw the rickshaw disappearing around the corner.

At that moment, the door opened. Someone with a smiling face said, “Come inside.”

It was hard to recognize Ben because he was wrapped in a blanket and wearing a beanie, with only his eyes visible.

Following Ben, we entered the house and sat on the sofa. The walls were decorated with many paintings. Ben said, “I painted those.”

I said, “We came as soon as we got your letter because the radio program date is today. But honestly, we can’t quite recognize you.”

“Coffee or tea?”

James said, “We just had coffee. But given the cold, some more would be nice.”

Ben went inside and came back with two cups of coffee and cream cracker biscuits. Astonishingly, the coffee seemed to have been prepared for us. Ben said, “Are you surprised? Can’t remember my face, thinking someone might be playing a prank?”

I said, “Exactly.”

Ben said, “You did well to come on this bus. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have seen me. I have to leave for Round Rock this evening. Don’t worry about the application. I have contacts at the radio office.”

James asked, “Are you an artist too?”

“No, just a hobby. I make my living through other work.”

“What do you do?”

“Not much. Just live day to day. A little painting, a little music, and in between, I run a small business.”

We looked around the room. There were several portraits. One of them, a woman’s face, was particularly striking. Ben said, “I painted that too.”

“You have quite a talent.”

“Not really, just a pastime.”

“But it’s hard to believe that someone would apply for a radio test for a friend, and that too in a different city. It’s quite unusual.”

“You can call it unusual, or you can call it friendship. It’s a strange bond. You two should take a nap now. The test is at 2 PM. It’s already late morning.”

“But it’s hard to sleep in a new place.”

“Then freshen up and eat something. You’ll feel better.”

“Do you have the morning newspaper?”

“No, the paper hasn’t come yet.”

“Can we listen to the radio?”

“There’s no electricity. It’ll come around noon.”

“Do you have a battery-powered radio?”

“No, but I can bring one if you want.”

“There’s no need for that. Let’s go for a walk. It’s been a long bus ride, and we’re a bit stiff.”

“Good idea. But don’t get lost in the alleys. It’s a maze around here.”

We went out for a walk. The streets were now bustling with activity. The morning rush was in full swing. We saw people, cars, bicycles, and scooters jostling for space on the narrow roads.

We walked around, exploring the area. It felt good to stretch our legs. After a while, we decided to head back to Ben’s house.

On our way back, we discussed our strange host and the bizarre circumstances that had brought us here. We couldn’t make sense of it. Who was Ben? Why had he called us? And why had we come?

As we reached Ben’s house, we saw him standing at the door, smiling. “Welcome back,” he said. “Did you enjoy your walk?”

“Yes, it was refreshing,” James replied.

“Good. Now, let’s have lunch. After that, we’ll head to the radio office.”

Lunch was a simple affair—rice, beans, and vegetables. But it was delicious. We ate heartily.

After lunch, we prepared for the voice test. Ben accompanied us to the radio office. He introduced us to some people there and ensured everything went smoothly.

James’s voice test went well. The officials seemed impressed. They told him they’d get back to him with the results soon.

We returned to Ben’s house in the evening. He said, “I have to leave for Round Rock now. It was nice meeting you both. Take care.”

We thanked him for his hospitality and watched him leave.

Later that evening, we boarded the bus back to San Antonio. As we sat on the bus, we reflected on our strange trip. Who was Ben? Why had he called us? We had no answers.

The next day, as we reached San Antonio, James received a call from the radio office. He had passed the voice test. They wanted him to come to Dallas for further formalities.

It was a strange trip, but it had a happy ending. James got his opportunity, and we returned with a story to tell.

Even today, we sometimes wonder about Ben. Was he a real person or a figment of our imagination? We may never know. But the memory of that winter night remains vivid in our minds.