The Old City Map

At a second-hand bookshop, Ivo found a city map from thirty years earlier. He bought it because he liked the drawings. His aunt, who had grown up in the city, recognised it immediately.

"Our favourite dance hall should be on there," she said.

They found a small square marked near the station. Ivo searched for the hall on his phone, but its name produced no useful result. His aunt suggested taking a walk.

The street was still there, although most of its buildings had changed. Where the dance hall should have been, they found a furniture shop. Ivo thought they had made a mistake.

His aunt pointed to three round windows above the entrance. She remembered waiting under them when it rained.

Inside, the shop owner confirmed that the building had once been a dance hall. He showed them a photograph kept behind the counter. Ivo's aunt recognised the stage, though she could not find herself in the crowd.

On the way home, Ivo drew a small circle on the old map. It could no longer tell him where to buy a bus ticket. But it had helped him find a piece of his aunt's life.