But what they didn’t know was that, after a certain amount
of time, the process would speed up so something would seem to age thousands of
years in mere weeks. Also, the gases in the air that the objects were exposed
to varied so much over the years that they were no longer comparable to each
other. He wasn’t sure exactly how much the gases differed and how the process
sped up because he hadn’t tested it enough to figure it out, but he knew there
was no way that he’d been alive for over thirty-two thousand years. Maybe
twenty thousand, but no more than that.
“What about you?” she finally asked.
“Me?”
She nodded.
“Well, I’m not really into men, so…” he said,
shrugging his shoulders and then immediately wishing he hadn’t from the pain
that again shot down his right arm and into his neck, chest, and back.
She lightly hit his forearm, not noticing his pain
because he was a master at hiding his emotions.
“Girlfriend, I meant. Do you have a girlfriend ?”
He laughed. “No.”
“Wife?”
Before he realized what he was saying, he’d
answered, “Not anymore.”
Her eyes widened a fraction of an inch, but she quickly
masked it.
“You were married?” she asked carefully a moment
later.
Because he couldn’t go back on that now, he nodded.
“A long time ago.”
“You must have married really young?”
“I suppose,” he said, not really committing to his
answer.
“Do you still talk to her?”
He’d been married thousands of times over the years,
but had spent the last fifty alone. He never kept a wife for long. He just got
bored with things too easily. That was partly why he moved all the time, too.
For some reason, though, when Hara asked, he skipped over his last wife and
went to the one he’d had before her.
Thinking of Olivia, he said, “She’s no longer
alive.”
“Oh,” she said, her eyes full of pity. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. It happened a long time ago. I’m
completely over it now.”
“How’d she die? If you don’t mind me asking?”
“She wasn’t happy. After our baby died, she just
couldn’t get over it. When I found her, she was already gone.”
“Oh wow,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I’m so
sorry.”
Not feeling any emotions as he shook his hand loose
from hers, he said, “Like I said, it was a long time ago.”
She didn’t seem to notice that he was trying not to
touch her because she lightly touched his forearm with a piteous hand. “Still…I
can’t imagine going through that. I’ve been very blessed in my life.”
How could she say that when her whole family had
been murdered? How could she honestly have such a positive attitude about everything ?
He wasn’t pessimistic by any means, but he knew when things were painful.
He pulled his arm away from her. This time, from the
hurt in her eyes, she seemed to realize that he didn’t need, or want, her pity.
“Do you have any family?” she asked as she
straightened up, clasping her hands together in her lap. “I’m only asking
because you haven’t had any visitors other than me.”
“Look, Hara,” he said, trying to keep his annoyance
out of his voice; his family was a touchy subject. “Enough of the twenty
questions.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, her eyes widening in what
looked to be both surprise and guilt. “I didn’t mean to say anything wrong.”
“You didn’t. I’m just not in the mood for that
conversation.”
“Do you want me to go?”
He looked her over, trying to determine the best
course of action. After a few moments, he nodded; he just didn’t have the
energy to play any more games today.
She looked like he’d hurt her feelings again but,
ever the martyr, she stood up.
“Okay. Feel better,” she said as she gave him a
tentative smile.
He didn’t say anything until she was opening the
door.
“Hara?” he called.
She looked back at him, her eyes full of hope.
“Yes?”
“You’ll come back tomorrow, won’t you?”
“Would you
of time, the process would speed up so something would seem to age thousands of
years in mere weeks. Also, the gases in the air that the objects were exposed
to varied so much over the years that they were no longer comparable to each
other. He wasn’t sure exactly how much the gases differed and how the process
sped up because he hadn’t tested it enough to figure it out, but he knew there
was no way that he’d been alive for over thirty-two thousand years. Maybe
twenty thousand, but no more than that.
“What about you?” she finally asked.
“Me?”
She nodded.
“Well, I’m not really into men, so…” he said,
shrugging his shoulders and then immediately wishing he hadn’t from the pain
that again shot down his right arm and into his neck, chest, and back.
She lightly hit his forearm, not noticing his pain
because he was a master at hiding his emotions.
“Girlfriend, I meant. Do you have a girlfriend ?”
He laughed. “No.”
“Wife?”
Before he realized what he was saying, he’d
answered, “Not anymore.”
Her eyes widened a fraction of an inch, but she quickly
masked it.
“You were married?” she asked carefully a moment
later.
Because he couldn’t go back on that now, he nodded.
“A long time ago.”
“You must have married really young?”
“I suppose,” he said, not really committing to his
answer.
“Do you still talk to her?”
He’d been married thousands of times over the years,
but had spent the last fifty alone. He never kept a wife for long. He just got
bored with things too easily. That was partly why he moved all the time, too.
For some reason, though, when Hara asked, he skipped over his last wife and
went to the one he’d had before her.
Thinking of Olivia, he said, “She’s no longer
alive.”
“Oh,” she said, her eyes full of pity. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. It happened a long time ago. I’m
completely over it now.”
“How’d she die? If you don’t mind me asking?”
“She wasn’t happy. After our baby died, she just
couldn’t get over it. When I found her, she was already gone.”
“Oh wow,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I’m so
sorry.”
Not feeling any emotions as he shook his hand loose
from hers, he said, “Like I said, it was a long time ago.”
She didn’t seem to notice that he was trying not to
touch her because she lightly touched his forearm with a piteous hand. “Still…I
can’t imagine going through that. I’ve been very blessed in my life.”
How could she say that when her whole family had
been murdered? How could she honestly have such a positive attitude about everything ?
He wasn’t pessimistic by any means, but he knew when things were painful.
He pulled his arm away from her. This time, from the
hurt in her eyes, she seemed to realize that he didn’t need, or want, her pity.
“Do you have any family?” she asked as she
straightened up, clasping her hands together in her lap. “I’m only asking
because you haven’t had any visitors other than me.”
“Look, Hara,” he said, trying to keep his annoyance
out of his voice; his family was a touchy subject. “Enough of the twenty
questions.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, her eyes widening in what
looked to be both surprise and guilt. “I didn’t mean to say anything wrong.”
“You didn’t. I’m just not in the mood for that
conversation.”
“Do you want me to go?”
He looked her over, trying to determine the best
course of action. After a few moments, he nodded; he just didn’t have the
energy to play any more games today.
She looked like he’d hurt her feelings again but,
ever the martyr, she stood up.
“Okay. Feel better,” she said as she gave him a
tentative smile.
He didn’t say anything until she was opening the
door.
“Hara?” he called.
She looked back at him, her eyes full of hope.
“Yes?”
“You’ll come back tomorrow, won’t you?”
“Would you
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