young, he had felt inspired to use the money he had inherited to help those in need. How his first gift-giving attempts were clumsy and almost ended in disaster. All these things sounded familiar to me, because they were so similar to my own life, ambition, and experiences.
Then came memories of great wondersâhow, in the year 343 at age sixty-three, he rode off from Myra in the middle of the night because too many people expected him to work wonders for them, and how, in the years following, he realized two things. First, that he could travel hundreds of miles in the time ordinary people might manage one or two. Second, that he had somehow stopped aging. He had no explanation for how these things had happened, he added. They simply did.
âAnd when I met and joined Nicholas a year later, I stopped aging, too!â Felix interrupted. âThe magic that graces him is also extended to anyone who joins him, we believe.â
Felix
I couldnât help shaking my head at the wonder of it all. Nicholas, though, interpreted the head-shaking as a sign I didnât believe what Iâd just heard.
âIt seems impossible, I know,â he said. âPerhaps if you consider it a bit longer before you decide itâs not trueââ
âOh, no,â I replied. âI believe every word. I mean, I see you here in front of me, and I saw your likeness carved on your tomb, and, of course, Iâve seen you so long in, well . . .â I was still too embarrassed to admit Iâd been dreaming about him for years. I sat up a little straighter on my mat, composed myself, and said briskly, âSo it was you all along who did the gift-giving that inspired me to do the same, and now Iâve met you. How splendid!â
Nicholas seemed both pleased and anxious. âThen you do believe everything Iâve told you?â he asked.
âOf course I do,â I said. âNo one could invent a story like that. So now you and your friend Felix, here, will spend eternity doing good, generous things. Youâre more than luckyâyouâre blessed!â
âBut Iâm lonely, sometimes, too,â Nicholas said, and I thought Felix, sitting on a mat beside his longtime companion, looked rather offended. âThe challenge is so great, and so never-ending,â Nicholas continued, his eyes locked on mine. âSo many people need so much, and I need your help. Will you join me?â He suddenly remembered Felix. âI mean, will you join us?â
âWhat exactly do you mean?â I asked. I hoped I knew what he meant, but I wanted to hear him say it.
Nicholas blushed and stammered, so Felix said it for him: âHeâs asking you to marry him, so Iâm going to leave you two alone for a while.â He got up and left the room. In the silence that followed, I could hear his heavy feet thumping as he made his way down the hall.
Nicholas remained tongue-tied. It was almost comical to see him try to say something, consider his words, begin to make the first sounds, panic, and have to start all over again. He sputtered for some time, and I finally lost patience.
âLook, are you asking me to marry you or not?â I asked. âIt would be nice to know.â
He took a deep breath. âYes, Iâm asking you to marry me. Iâm sorry to make such a bad job of it. Even though Iâm a hundred and thirty-two years old, Iâve never done this before.â
âAre you certain?â I couldnât help asking.
âOh, yes,â Nicholas said. âIâve never had such feelings for anyone. So, will you? Marry me, I mean. I know itâs a complicated life Iâm offering, and that thereâs a great difference in our ages. If youâre thirty-five, why, Iâm ninety-seven years older than you. Someone so youthful might not want to burden herself with someone so, well, senior.â
âI donât care how old you are,â I replied,
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