City center

The story

City center

There were many layers in the texts she wrote. I got to know Frania online where she appeared as a woman full of sparkle and vitality. Because of the way she wrote, I could always imagine hearing her laugh while reading her words. That’s how vibrant and alive she came across. But she had also fought battles and, in fact, was still fighting them. The end of her marriage a few years earlier had shaken her more than just a little.

She was also still carrying the weight of the complexity of her last relationship, which had ended not so long ago.

She had a certain eagerness to know who I was and, above all, what I looked like. Unexpectedly, she sent me a photo of herself, hoping I would do the same. However, I was able to convince her that the magic of the unknown is often underestimated. She embraced that idea. She never received a photo of me to compare with the image she had created in her mind. We never heard each other’s voices and never met in person.

And yet, through writing, I felt connected to the softness in her words and the depth of her stories. I didn’t want to risk losing that connection by offering her anything beyond my words.

She preferred a partner with a difficult character over one without much substance. That was what she was mainly seeking: substance. And the thrill of an engaging conversation. She was willing to make sacrifices for that.