I met a couple on the Norte in a donativo albergue tucked away in the hills. They made too much spaghetti that night and invited me to share dinner. We drank a bottle of wine and talked over a cigarette. Rene is from the Czech Republic and Nao is from Japan. They are a laughing, massaging, chain-smoking duo from different sides of the world. I ran into them everyday for about a week and a half straight. We became friends.
We arrived in Priesca some days later after a sunny walk uphill. I watched them run off into the shade of the woods to be alone. Pushing each other up against the trees, their hands running everywhere.. the next moment, they were rolling around in the grass. They were in love. It was written on their faces. Eating at the picnic table and then ending up spread out on top of it. No one else exists.
One bright day at La Naranja Peregrina, after a couple of beers, I asked them for an interview.
“Where did you start the Camino?”
Nao- “Arun.”
Rene- “Gerneca.”
“When did you start walking together?”
Nao- “Well, we saw each other for the first time in Bilbao, but we didn’t start walking together then.”
Rene- “I continued alone after seeing her in the albergue..
(Nao interjects..)
Nao- “Yes, well, me too (laughing).”
Rene- “Yes, okay, you too. And after we are alone for two days, we meet again and started talking. Now we are walking ever since.”
“How long has it been?”
Nao- “About 10 days, I think.”
Rene- “I had plans to walk alone, but then I went outside for a cigarette and somehow, now I am not walking alone anymore.”
“When did you start to feel that you were more than Walking partners?”
Rene- “Wow, okay, um, where were we? On the beach?”
Nao- “Yes, but I don’t remember the name of this place. But we were on the beach. Sunny day. And then, I don’t know.”
Rene- “Its hard to remember because we are not so many days together but so much happens in so short time that we are together.”
Nao- “Noja! On the beach in Noja, I remember now.”
“Have you made any plans?”
Nao- “We have plans to drink Captain Morgan in Japan with cola and lemon.”
Rene- “Yes, with cola and lemon.”
Nao- “I prefer Captain to Jack Daniels, yes. And better with cola!”
…
Nao- “But who knows?”
Rene- “It’s complicated now, in these next days.”
Nao- “Yes, tomorrow is our last day walking together.”
I protest, “What?! Why?!”
Rene- “My life is now complicated.. because I am meeting a friend from Czech Republic tomorrow. She is the reason I come on Camino.. there were a lot of problems. And now they are coming here and I’m confused.” He continues.. “I was really in love with this girl and we’re together for one year and she was in love with her ex-boyfriend.”
“But why was it so bad? Why did you have problems?”
Nao- “Give more examples, I don’t understand either.”
Rene- “Okay, well, she was in love with her ex-boyfriend and said that she likes her ex-boyfriend more than me. She is basically obsessed with ex-boyfriend.” He continues.. “and after one horrible year things are still complicated and she writes to tell me that she’s coming here.”
Nao- “Maybe because she was really into her ex-boyfriend, now she’s really into you because you are also ex-boyfriend.”
We all laughed.
“I like Nao better,” I said after she went to grab another round of beer.
Rene- “Me too. She is a special girl.”
A couple days later, when they weren’t walking together anymore.. Nao was gone and so was Rene’s smile.