Wilhelm

I write these memories from my current existence, now retired, after a life spent as a telecommunications engineer in Spain. Each moment contains both the beginning and the end of multiple parallel existences-realities we unknowingly inhabit. We are unaware that we live intertwined in infinite loops of possible lives, each born from a single decision made at a specific point in time.

In my case, when I was just a baby, my parents were forced to move to more prosperous areas of Spain, hoping for a better life. However, in those times of limited opportunities, they were unable to improve their situation even in the big city. That was when my father suggested to my mother that they move to Germany. After a long and painful conversation, she admitted she wasn’t ready to live in another country. I remember her tears, her despair, and my father’s silent frustration. In the end, they decided to return to our small village, thereby choosing their future… and mine.

Just a few days ago, my wife Marta was admitted to the hospital. As they wheeled her up to her room, we passed a man in the hallway whose face seemed vaguely familiar to me. I was taken aback when he greeted me enthusiastically, his unmistakable German accent cutting through the noise. Still confused, I did my best to respond with the same warmth, though I couldn’t quite grasp what was happening.

Later, after Marta had fallen asleep-exhausted by the toll COVID had taken on her-I slipped into a kind of trance. Suddenly, I found myself reliving the conversation my parents had about moving to…