The meaninglessness of time
The sound of his long footsteps echoed rhythmically on the streets of the old town, as his own shadow followed him over the yellow facades and was only disrupted by the countless side alleys. The afternoon sun had already lost its' blinding intensity and covered the Spanish village in a warm, orange light.
Although, El Socorro was his hometown, he needed directions from an old lady to find his way. Richard smirked once more, as he repeated their short conversation in his mind. She hadn't been very happy about giving information to a stranger during siesta time, yet somehow his researching look let her give in. A look full of curiosity, exploring almost tenderly the depths of her face.
Gradually the street to his feet expanded and Richard was able to spot the narrow bell tower of the chapel from distance. His walking speed decreased in the certainty that it could not be that far anymore. He quickly strode over his sweaty forehead and ran his hand through his black hair, which meanwhile had some grey streaks here and there. A fact that amused Señor Alpert more than most men. However, it was pretty hard to compare Richard to other men.
The small church place was deserted except of a group of boys playing soccer. They chased each other seemingly inexhaustible around an old fountain in their hunt for the ball. Their loud calls followed Richard even to the backside of the chapel and diverted him from his original request. He quickly reached into his pocket to recollect his thoughts and brought out a small object. A silver necklace with a cross as pendant. He carefully put it into one of his palms, as he thoughtfully ran his hand over its' contour. The necklace was all he had left from Isabella.
Isabella. His look went straight forward, as he entered the graveyard. Somewhere here, she had been buried. Slowly, very slowly he walked through every row. Richard did not fool himself to believe he could actually find her last resting place. After 140 years other inhabitants would have been buried on the same spot, other graves would have been built above her grave. He would not read all the inscriptions, because he already knew that there would not be "Isabella Alpert" among them.
He himself had a few names throughout the years. Richard, Richardus or Ricardo, his original birth name. Since the moment Jacob had fulfilled his wish to live forever and he had spent his life mostly on the island, his name … yes even the time had lost its' meaning. Has he been living all these years? Or has he been frozen in time like his body? Though, all of this did not mean anything anymore. This chapter in his life was over. Jacob had died and with him his gift, his curse to Richard, whatever you may want to call it.
His steps carried him further and further over the deserted graveyard. He approached a lonely dragon tree along a white stonewall, which surrounded the whole area. His deceased wife would have liked the small bench beneath its' wide spreading branches. With a quiet sigh he took a seat and directed his eyes again on Isabella's cross in his hands.
Richards was not here to grieve for her death. He was here to make a promise to Isabella. Carefully he pressed his dry lips on the pendant, before he began to speak with closed eyelids. "Isabella, you told me, that you are still with me … that we are still together. I am going to leave El Socorro and Tenerife for a little while. As I want to see the world. The new world, the old world, the whole world … for the both of us. Live a new life … for the both of us. I want to grow old, to get more grey hair and wrinkles … for the both of us. " Richards calm features testified his confidence and contentment, as the pale sun broke through the roof of twigs above him. "And then I want to come back here, when I feel that my time is about to run out. Then, I am going to spend my last moments in our home. I will walk over the plantation fields, where I first met you. Pass away peacefully from this world in the certainty that you are waiting for me on the other side. Whether heaven or hell, we will be together … we already are together. Forever. Mi amore."