A cool breeze relieved the heat from my bald scalp as I dug into the ground with the shovel. Working the garden with my wife Eve made me forget the confines of the house we now called our home. I hated staying inside all the time with the television or stereo blaring for entertainment to pass the time …. time? So much time! Too much time perhaps . . . .
“Don’t start drifting off when there is work to be done.” Eve commanded as she knelt a few feet away planting flowers. “What were you thinking?” she asked, taking a break from her work.
“Nothing in particular,” I replied with a slight smile. Lately my friends have been telling me that I have been drifting off into thought in the middle of sentences. “I just was thinking about time . . . .”
“What about it? Aren’t you happy with our life?”
I looked at her. She is so beautiful. The face that launched a thousand ships cursed to walk with me through life and so much time. I have a coin that shows Cleopatra in my collection that I haven’t put on the House of Ancient Coins and Curios web-site yet, that shows a hint of Cleopatra’s beauty, but nothing compares to Eve. Maybe if I put her picture on http://www.ancientscoin.com/ more people would pass through just to have a look.
“I am happier than I have ever been, but there are times when I miss the old days. We had good times back home and in Rome. This age is curious with everyone going nowhere fast --- this era is fast paced, but where were from was slow and thoughtful – where a day seemed like twenty-four hours, not 24 minutes. I miss it sometimes.”
Eve stood and gave me a big hug and kiss. “See what your alchemy has brought? It brought ten of us here … this far, for this long. I love you even though you are the oldest of us.”
“And the prettiest,” I said jokingly as I lifted her up and hugged her tighter.
“I really am the oldest”, I thought sadly to myself.
Eve slid down from my grasp and set her green eyes into mine. “Joseph, it’s all been good”, she said, “I love the gift you gave to us – we will always see what happens tomorrow.”
I pushed aside her thick auburn hair and pulled her into my gaze. For a moment I stood silent as she anticipated my next sentence. “I think you need to plant some orange ones over there.” I said with a little humor to change the subject.
“Orange flowers? With blue and violet? After all these years you still have no taste.”
“I guess I am getting older “. I joked.
“No, you’re getting dumber”. She laughed as she pushed my chest with her hands to move me aside. She knelt and returned to work as she laughed.
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