Memories Taken by the Heat

Memories Taken by the Heat I've just come back from my morning dog walk. On the streets here, you can smell the nearby forests. The sea is only a couple of kilometers away. Clouds towered over our heads. The cool breeze and the scent of water vapor in the air brought back memories from years ago. After my divorce, I moved to a small flat in the downtown of Budapest. It was 2020, and I managed to buy a neat apartment that had previously been used for Airbnb. It became unprofitable for the owner after COVID-19 undermined tourism. Not far away, there was a street with shady trees and designer fashion boutiques. The smell of coffee, with a sugary hint of pastries, came from the artisan bakeries. Before and after the pandemic, the street was full of life. As we walked past the café terraces, my dog always got a few smiles. His fluffy seriousness and playful elegance were simply irresistible. Those smiles weren't meant for me, and yet for a fraction of a second I felt like part of the…