Mea wanted a photograph with all three of them. The tripod stood firmly, the camera looked willing, and her friends were in excellent spirits. She needed only to press the button and join them in time. In this collage of Slovak stops, a simple task becomes a small shared sport with unexpected results.
Illustrated fiction inspired by original Travel2City photographs. The places come from separate journeys, not a one-day itinerary. Characters, dialogue, props and some composition and lighting are artistic interpretations.
Beneath Trnava’s towers, Mea checked the frame and nodded to her friends. Colombine adjusted her cardigan. Lu Cia tried a discreet smile that was, in fact, quite noticeable. Mea pressed the shutter and remembered that she still had to walk around the tripod. Suddenly there were too many details to consider: her bag, her scarf, her place between them. The camera continued counting down without offering assistance. Its job was clearly simpler than theirs.
In the courtyard, Mea felt certain she would make it this time. She took a brisk step, caught her scarf and looked at her friends. Both were already laughing. It was unclear whether the camera was still waiting or had just rescued them from an excessively dignified portrait. Mea joined in. Next time, she would start closer. Colombine suggested not rearranging her entire life during the countdown. Lu Cia considered both plans promising.
At Devín, they stood together in time. Mea and Colombine looked into the lens with exemplary composure. At the last moment, however, Lu Cia felt that her blue flower sat slightly crooked. She raised a hand. The camera did its work precisely then. Mea turned towards her with an expression that stayed serious for barely a second. Behind them, river and ancient walls remained indifferent to the trio’s negotiations with time.
“This time we managed everything. Except the flower.”
Below Bratislava Castle, they reviewed the photographs together. In one, Mea was still moving. In another, Colombine laughed sooner than intended. Lu Cia had a hand in her hair and the expression of someone discovering a minor complication. Then they found a picture in which none of that mattered. All three were simply themselves. Mea showed it again. This one would stay. Her friends agreed without requiring another countdown.
“Here we are exactly as I want to remember us.”
From notebook to book
The Map with No Last Page
Travel2City journeys continue between the covers of a book. Discover our illustrated travel world.
That evening, they did not choose the most serious picture. They kept the one whose laughter all three could explain. The camera was welcome to retain its opinion on timing.
