Part III: Distraction
Two months later
„Christopher.... Christopher…", David softly shook Chris' body. He had fallen asleep at his desk
"Christopher, wake up…" He shook him again, this time a little harder.
"Chris!"
"WHAT?!" suddenly he rose up and stared at David.
"What, what happened?"
"You have fallen asleep. You're in the museum, it's eight o' clock in the morning. Have you been working all night?"
Chris wiped his eyes and glanced at David. "Eight o'clock? Unbelievable." He yawned and stretched his body, "I had the weirdest dream. I dreamed that I was living in ancient Egypt and that I was the captain of the Pharaoh's army. I had just returned from an expedition to Nubia and there was this girl,…. She was Nubian and I captured her and I..."
"Christopher, you definitely work too much.", David took off his coat and threw his bag in the corner, "You should really go home and get some rest. That is, if you still remember where you live. I wonder why you pay rent anyway. You spend more time in the museum than in your own apartment. You don't even sleep there anymore. And it is such a nice place. I'd take it if you don't want to live there anymore."
"You brought me coffee, good." Chris tried to change the subject. He knew David was right, he just didn't want to hear it. He was obsessed with his work and more than ever he was obsessed with this exhibition. It just wouldn't let him go.
"Actually, that's mine, but you can have it." David offered him the cup of coffee he had just bought. "Will you go home now?"
"No." He took the coffee and swirled around on his chair. "Take a look at that. I found it inside the tomb. It's a piece of paper with handwritten hieroglyphs on it. Most of it is illegible which isn't a surprise since this is probably more than 3 thousand years old."
David stepped closer and took a look at the piece of paper in the glass case in front of him.
"Have you translated it yet?"
"Only a few words. It's definitely a letter, here it says: I'm sorry for everything I've said and for anything I forgot to…. I can't read this part but here it continues: I wish that our lives could be simple, I don't want the world only you….. and here at the end I can only read the last three words: I love you… Isn't this amazing, Dave? The team in Egypt told me that they found bones inside the tomb which they kept to examine. They also found this papyrus in one of the chambers to Amneris tomb." Chris unfolded an old papyrus which looked very fragile.
"Here it says: From deep within the tomb a gentle light still shone. Showing me my path as I ascended to the throne. Certain in my heart that ancient wars must cease. The lovers death gave birth to a reign in peace." He looked up at David.
"So the legend about her could be true. It says that she had to sentence two lover to death and this sacrifice brought peace between Nubia and Egypt. They must have betrayed the pharaoh for it was the law in those times to bury traitors beneath the sands of Egypt. And now we only need to find out who they were."
"Yeah, but first I am going to sentence you to go home and get some sleep and to take a shower."
"Why, do I smell?" Chris grinned at him and took a sip of his coffee.
"No, but it's time for you to take a break and get some rest. You can't go on like this and if you still do, I will betray you and go on strike."
"You seem to forget that I'm the one who signs your pay-checks."
"Sure. Whatever you say." David turned around to head out of Chris's office. "Just go on like this. If you collapse than I'll be the boss and make better money and can afford a nicer apartment and I could buy a lot of beautiful things and ….," he rambled on while leaving.
Chris sighed. David was right. He had been working too much. Maybe it was better to take a break….. and to take a shower – he really didn't smell very fresh anymore.
Chris started to gather up his things, turned off the lamp on his desk and headed out the doors.
"You won. I'm going home."
"Good. And I'd be very happy if you won't come back today. Go to the park, lay in the grass and enjoy a day off."
"David, it's November and fucking cold outside."
"Alright, then at least go out with us tonight. We are going to hit the road and you should come. You need some distraction … I know this woman you should meet. She's gorgeous…"
"I don't know…" Chris lowered his head.
"Oh, come on. Are you still thinking about this girl you bumped into? What's her name again?"
"Rachel."
"Right. Rachel. You can't be serious. You really should forget about her, Christopher. Ok, she was very pretty but chances are bad that you will ever see her again. I mean, how many people live in Manhattan? And how many Rachel's for that matter? You don't know anything about her. Maybe she doesn't even live in New York, she could have been a tourist like so many other visitors in the museum. By now she's probably back home in wherever, with her beautiful husband, her three kids and her dog…"
"I get your point. You can stop now." Chris looked at David. Although he was absolutely right, his words stung. This girl just wouldn't get out of his head. He thought about her so often. And part of him was hoping to see her again. If only he hadn't acted like a total jerk…
"I'm sorry, Christopher. I just don't want you to miss out on the pleasures of life because you are waiting for some dreamgirl you'll never going to see again. Your work is already occupying your life too much. Take a break and go out with us. Your friends miss you, you know. And you should really meet this woman. I'm sure you'll like her. She's hot!"
"And how can you judge about that, you're gay." Chris smiled at David. He had finally convinced him. It was time to go out again and have some fun.
"Just trust me. We meet at Oniel's at eight."
To be continued.
Two months later
„Christopher.... Christopher…", David softly shook Chris' body. He had fallen asleep at his desk
"Christopher, wake up…" He shook him again, this time a little harder.
"Chris!"
"WHAT?!" suddenly he rose up and stared at David.
"What, what happened?"
"You have fallen asleep. You're in the museum, it's eight o' clock in the morning. Have you been working all night?"
Chris wiped his eyes and glanced at David. "Eight o'clock? Unbelievable." He yawned and stretched his body, "I had the weirdest dream. I dreamed that I was living in ancient Egypt and that I was the captain of the Pharaoh's army. I had just returned from an expedition to Nubia and there was this girl,…. She was Nubian and I captured her and I..."
"Christopher, you definitely work too much.", David took off his coat and threw his bag in the corner, "You should really go home and get some rest. That is, if you still remember where you live. I wonder why you pay rent anyway. You spend more time in the museum than in your own apartment. You don't even sleep there anymore. And it is such a nice place. I'd take it if you don't want to live there anymore."
"You brought me coffee, good." Chris tried to change the subject. He knew David was right, he just didn't want to hear it. He was obsessed with his work and more than ever he was obsessed with this exhibition. It just wouldn't let him go.
"Actually, that's mine, but you can have it." David offered him the cup of coffee he had just bought. "Will you go home now?"
"No." He took the coffee and swirled around on his chair. "Take a look at that. I found it inside the tomb. It's a piece of paper with handwritten hieroglyphs on it. Most of it is illegible which isn't a surprise since this is probably more than 3 thousand years old."
David stepped closer and took a look at the piece of paper in the glass case in front of him.
"Have you translated it yet?"
"Only a few words. It's definitely a letter, here it says: I'm sorry for everything I've said and for anything I forgot to…. I can't read this part but here it continues: I wish that our lives could be simple, I don't want the world only you….. and here at the end I can only read the last three words: I love you… Isn't this amazing, Dave? The team in Egypt told me that they found bones inside the tomb which they kept to examine. They also found this papyrus in one of the chambers to Amneris tomb." Chris unfolded an old papyrus which looked very fragile.
"Here it says: From deep within the tomb a gentle light still shone. Showing me my path as I ascended to the throne. Certain in my heart that ancient wars must cease. The lovers death gave birth to a reign in peace." He looked up at David.
"So the legend about her could be true. It says that she had to sentence two lover to death and this sacrifice brought peace between Nubia and Egypt. They must have betrayed the pharaoh for it was the law in those times to bury traitors beneath the sands of Egypt. And now we only need to find out who they were."
"Yeah, but first I am going to sentence you to go home and get some sleep and to take a shower."
"Why, do I smell?" Chris grinned at him and took a sip of his coffee.
"No, but it's time for you to take a break and get some rest. You can't go on like this and if you still do, I will betray you and go on strike."
"You seem to forget that I'm the one who signs your pay-checks."
"Sure. Whatever you say." David turned around to head out of Chris's office. "Just go on like this. If you collapse than I'll be the boss and make better money and can afford a nicer apartment and I could buy a lot of beautiful things and ….," he rambled on while leaving.
Chris sighed. David was right. He had been working too much. Maybe it was better to take a break….. and to take a shower – he really didn't smell very fresh anymore.
Chris started to gather up his things, turned off the lamp on his desk and headed out the doors.
"You won. I'm going home."
"Good. And I'd be very happy if you won't come back today. Go to the park, lay in the grass and enjoy a day off."
"David, it's November and fucking cold outside."
"Alright, then at least go out with us tonight. We are going to hit the road and you should come. You need some distraction … I know this woman you should meet. She's gorgeous…"
"I don't know…" Chris lowered his head.
"Oh, come on. Are you still thinking about this girl you bumped into? What's her name again?"
"Rachel."
"Right. Rachel. You can't be serious. You really should forget about her, Christopher. Ok, she was very pretty but chances are bad that you will ever see her again. I mean, how many people live in Manhattan? And how many Rachel's for that matter? You don't know anything about her. Maybe she doesn't even live in New York, she could have been a tourist like so many other visitors in the museum. By now she's probably back home in wherever, with her beautiful husband, her three kids and her dog…"
"I get your point. You can stop now." Chris looked at David. Although he was absolutely right, his words stung. This girl just wouldn't get out of his head. He thought about her so often. And part of him was hoping to see her again. If only he hadn't acted like a total jerk…
"I'm sorry, Christopher. I just don't want you to miss out on the pleasures of life because you are waiting for some dreamgirl you'll never going to see again. Your work is already occupying your life too much. Take a break and go out with us. Your friends miss you, you know. And you should really meet this woman. I'm sure you'll like her. She's hot!"
"And how can you judge about that, you're gay." Chris smiled at David. He had finally convinced him. It was time to go out again and have some fun.
"Just trust me. We meet at Oniel's at eight."
To be continued.