I was around twelve years old and we lived in a small town just outside of Prague. Back then it was still normal to spend all our time outside with friends. Few people had a computer at home and it was not such a miracle of unlimited possibilities (not only in terms of games) as it is today. I’m not even talking about game consoles. Maybe many times it would be better if we would rather sit at home than the bastards we managed to create many times.
In our town there is a beautiful, unfortunately dilapidated baroque castle from 1730 and it also has a large garden with a fountain. The castle is hardly used, except for a few musical events a year and some exteriors for filming movies or fairy tales.
Behind the aforementioned garden, through which a stream flows, is a leafy forest and behind it is a railway station located on a high embankment separating the castle garden from the nearby Elbe. The stream that flows through the castle garden continues over the viaduct under the rampart and flows into the castle pool. It is usually possible to walk here, that is, if the water level is not high after rain.
In the summer months, we spent a lot of time at the pool, because the conditions are ideal for swimming.
One beautiful holiday day, my friends and I agreed to go to the castle pool equipped with a rubber boat and paddles. We set out in the morning and after about a fifteen-minute journey we were at the place. I also had a so-called frog to inflate the boat, but lo and behold, I forgot a kind of plastic valve at home, which was used to inflate and deflate the boat. So I went home again and left my friends waiting at the place. I was in a hurry and was almost back in twenty minutes. However, along the way, I thought that I could make fun of my friends. So I climbed next to the viaduct onto the embankment into the railway yard and knelt on one of the sleepers, crouched down and wanted to throw a stone into the water in the stream where my patient friends were waiting for me to arrive with the missing valve.
“I don’t know why I always feel the need to throw rocks.”
I was looking forward to how scared my friends would be, so I took a small stone from the rail weight in my hand and wanted to throw it. But suddenly I rose as if for a few seconds I was not in control of my body and took three quick steps to the edge of the embankment out of the track. As soon as I left the edge of the track, a passenger train (express) passed me.
My guardian angel must have been there with me
I sat on my butt and didn’t know what actually happened. When I regained my composure, I got off the embankment, went to my friends and told them what had happened. They shook their heads in disbelief. We enjoyed a super vacation day out of many, but one that remains in my memory to this day.
Do you also have a similar experience?
