Part X: The Exhibition
Two months later
Rachel walked pass the archer in the showcase. She took a close look at him and read the small info underneath. After a long fight with herself she had decided to come here and take a look at the exhibition. It had just open one week ago. The New York Times had titled it as "magnificent, extraordinary,…one of the most impressive exhibition ever displayed at the Metropolitan… and a shame to miss it." Her curiosity was stronger than her urge to stay away from the museum. She hadn't been here for over 8 months now and was missing it fiercely. Since that day at Oniel's she hadn't seen Christopher again. Somehow she managed to get out of his way. Of course it helped that the last two months he had been extremely busy with finishing the exhibition. Not even Gillian saw him that often anymore, he was completely hooked up with his work and didn't have time for anything else.
Rachel stopped by a life-sized statue of a woman. 'Cool', she thought and read the sign below. 'Amneris, great pharaoh of Egypt, wow a female pharaoh, who would have thought of that.' Rachel stood in front of the case for a while and looked up to the statue. For some reason she looked very sad to her. 'Must have been hard for her to be a pharaoh.'
After five minutes she forced herself to go away and look at the rest of the exhibition. She was already happy that she had come because it was absolutely wonderful. Gillian said that Christopher wasn't working today, so she should be safe not to bump into him. Another show-case drew in her attention.
'Egyptian tomb. Tombs like this were used to bury traitors in. Alive.' When she had finished reading she jumped back a step. 'Uh, how could they possibly be so cruel? What a horrible death.' She began to shiver and all of a sudden felt extremely uneasy. She held one hand up to her throat and felt the sickness in her stomach again. Was it her imagination or had it turned colder in here? She was wearing a long white summer dress, which was appropriate for the temperature outside, but maybe not for the air- conditioned room in here. She hugged herself in the hope to get a little warmer.
"Isn't this the most cruel death one can imagine?" A voice said from behind – a very familiar voice. Rachel quickly swirled around and looked straight into Christopher's face.
"I felt extremely uneasy when I first saw this tomb. It gave me the shivers. Are you alright?" Chris looked at Rachel who was still holding her arms around her. Sweat trickled from her forehead, although she was freezing.
"Yes. Thank you. I think I'm fine. Hey, you can actually speak." – 'Oops.' She quickly covered her mouth with her hand. 'That wasn't very nice.', she thought
"I'm…. well… I guess I can. Occasionally.", ashamed Chris looked down on the floor.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. Sometimes my tongue is quicker than my brain. I guess we didn't hit it off too well. Maybe we can start again. I'm Rachel." She smiled and extended her hand towards Chris.
He looked up to her and smiled as well. "I'm Chris." At the touch of his hand, she all of a sudden felt better. She didn't shiver anymore and the sickness had vanished. His touch was comforting and gentle and for some reason she felt protected.
"I didn't expect to see you here today. Gillian said, that this was your day off."
"Yes. It was suppose to be, but David got sick so I had to come in. Gillian wasn't very happy about it, but I can't change that."
"Oh no, when she's unhappy, she'll spend fortunes on clothes. I bet she's at the mall right now, running from one store to the next." They both had to laugh and for a minute it seemed like the most natural thing in the world, that they would be standing here having a conversation.
"If you want to, I can give an exclusive tour through the rest of the exhibition."
'Stop being so nice to me, you'll make it a lot harder.', Rachel thought, but she couldn't resist. What bad could it do, if he would show her the exhibition? Gillian wouldn't mind, it was not like they would do something forbidden.
"I'll take that offer, thanks." He led her to another room where more show- cases were displayed. They took a very close look at everything and Chris filled her in on the history of every artefact. Rachel's curiosity was very refreshing for Chris. Gillian never was that interested in his work. She liked what he was doing and all the prestige that would come with it, but an old mug or chalice wasn't very exciting for her.
"This is a letter I found inside the tomb. It gives us an insight on the two people who died in there." He pointed at the letter behind a glass- case. Rachel was extremely pulled in by this artefact and began reading:
"I'm sorry for everything I've said and for anything I forgot to say too. When things get so complicated, I stumble at best muddle through. I wish that our lives could be simple, I don't want the world only you. Oh I wish I could tell you this face to face, but there's never the time, never the place, so this letter will have to do. I love you."
When she finished she had tears in her eyes.
"Wow, I didn't know you can read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs."
"What? Did I say that out loud? I didn't mean too, I mean, of course I can't read hieroglyphs. I read the translation underneath." She pointed at the inscription underneath.
"Actually that's only the translation for half of the letter. I wasn't able to make out the rest of it." Chris said very impressed by what he had just heard. Although this was no proof of what the letter really contained, it sounded logical to him.
"But how…? Must be my imagination. I've got too much fantasy. I always made up my own little stories when I was a kid. I could loose myself completely in my fantasy-world and play for hours. I'd forget everything around me. Usually I pretended that I was a Nubian princess who sailed across the Nile. I sat in the bathtub and used it as my boat and a bed-sheet as my sail. Pretty silly, don't you think?"
"Not at all. You definitely look like a princess." Their eyes met and both stood still in silence for a minute, not capable of speaking.
All of a sudden Chris slowly leaned in and came closer and closer to her face. 'Oh my god, he's going to kiss me' Rachel thought. Although she couldn't imagine anything more beautiful as that, she dugged away and walked towards another show-case.
"And what's this? Looks very interesting." She pointed at an old dirty mug.
"It's a mug. Used as … well, a mug." 'Why did I have to do that? I almost ruined everything.' Chris kept asking himself. 'Gillian is my girlfriend, not her. What if she will tell her?' He bit his lower lip until it hurt.
"I didn't mean to..", he began saying but Rachel covered his mouth with her finger.
"I know. Don't worry." Very reserved they continued with the tour through the rest of the exhibition. Chris simply pointed out the facts and Rachel listened. They ended up at the tomb again.
"Well, that's about it. 10 months of work displayed in a few show-cases."
"But very impressive work. Thank you for the tour, I enjoyed it a lot."
"You are very welcome. Anytime."
They both felt a little awkward, not knowing what to say next. Rachel knew the best thing for her, was to leave.
"I should go home now.", she finally said.
"Sure. I should get back to work anyway.", Chris scratched his head and shifted uneasy from one foot to another.
"Yes. You must be busy."
"Do you have a boyfriend?" 'Damn me. I did it again. Gosh, think before you talk Chris.'
"I'm sorry, that's really non of my business. Never mind."
Rachel smiled, he was really cute when he was embarrassed. "No, I don't have a boyfriend, but as far as I remember you are dating my best friend." This wasn't only a reminder for Chris but also for herself…
"Yes. Of course you're right. I haven't forgotten that. I was just… curious… Take care of yourself, I'm sure we'll meet again… after all, I'm dating your roommate and I'm… very glad I do, because she really is a wonderful person and I'm … very happy and… I'm stuttering again. Sorry. I really should get going now."
"Probably. I'll see you soon. Goodbye." She smiled at him again and turned around. The next moment she disappeared through the doors.
"I'm such a fool." Chris said to himself and walked away in the opposite direction towards his office.
To be continued.
Two months later
Rachel walked pass the archer in the showcase. She took a close look at him and read the small info underneath. After a long fight with herself she had decided to come here and take a look at the exhibition. It had just open one week ago. The New York Times had titled it as "magnificent, extraordinary,…one of the most impressive exhibition ever displayed at the Metropolitan… and a shame to miss it." Her curiosity was stronger than her urge to stay away from the museum. She hadn't been here for over 8 months now and was missing it fiercely. Since that day at Oniel's she hadn't seen Christopher again. Somehow she managed to get out of his way. Of course it helped that the last two months he had been extremely busy with finishing the exhibition. Not even Gillian saw him that often anymore, he was completely hooked up with his work and didn't have time for anything else.
Rachel stopped by a life-sized statue of a woman. 'Cool', she thought and read the sign below. 'Amneris, great pharaoh of Egypt, wow a female pharaoh, who would have thought of that.' Rachel stood in front of the case for a while and looked up to the statue. For some reason she looked very sad to her. 'Must have been hard for her to be a pharaoh.'
After five minutes she forced herself to go away and look at the rest of the exhibition. She was already happy that she had come because it was absolutely wonderful. Gillian said that Christopher wasn't working today, so she should be safe not to bump into him. Another show-case drew in her attention.
'Egyptian tomb. Tombs like this were used to bury traitors in. Alive.' When she had finished reading she jumped back a step. 'Uh, how could they possibly be so cruel? What a horrible death.' She began to shiver and all of a sudden felt extremely uneasy. She held one hand up to her throat and felt the sickness in her stomach again. Was it her imagination or had it turned colder in here? She was wearing a long white summer dress, which was appropriate for the temperature outside, but maybe not for the air- conditioned room in here. She hugged herself in the hope to get a little warmer.
"Isn't this the most cruel death one can imagine?" A voice said from behind – a very familiar voice. Rachel quickly swirled around and looked straight into Christopher's face.
"I felt extremely uneasy when I first saw this tomb. It gave me the shivers. Are you alright?" Chris looked at Rachel who was still holding her arms around her. Sweat trickled from her forehead, although she was freezing.
"Yes. Thank you. I think I'm fine. Hey, you can actually speak." – 'Oops.' She quickly covered her mouth with her hand. 'That wasn't very nice.', she thought
"I'm…. well… I guess I can. Occasionally.", ashamed Chris looked down on the floor.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. Sometimes my tongue is quicker than my brain. I guess we didn't hit it off too well. Maybe we can start again. I'm Rachel." She smiled and extended her hand towards Chris.
He looked up to her and smiled as well. "I'm Chris." At the touch of his hand, she all of a sudden felt better. She didn't shiver anymore and the sickness had vanished. His touch was comforting and gentle and for some reason she felt protected.
"I didn't expect to see you here today. Gillian said, that this was your day off."
"Yes. It was suppose to be, but David got sick so I had to come in. Gillian wasn't very happy about it, but I can't change that."
"Oh no, when she's unhappy, she'll spend fortunes on clothes. I bet she's at the mall right now, running from one store to the next." They both had to laugh and for a minute it seemed like the most natural thing in the world, that they would be standing here having a conversation.
"If you want to, I can give an exclusive tour through the rest of the exhibition."
'Stop being so nice to me, you'll make it a lot harder.', Rachel thought, but she couldn't resist. What bad could it do, if he would show her the exhibition? Gillian wouldn't mind, it was not like they would do something forbidden.
"I'll take that offer, thanks." He led her to another room where more show- cases were displayed. They took a very close look at everything and Chris filled her in on the history of every artefact. Rachel's curiosity was very refreshing for Chris. Gillian never was that interested in his work. She liked what he was doing and all the prestige that would come with it, but an old mug or chalice wasn't very exciting for her.
"This is a letter I found inside the tomb. It gives us an insight on the two people who died in there." He pointed at the letter behind a glass- case. Rachel was extremely pulled in by this artefact and began reading:
"I'm sorry for everything I've said and for anything I forgot to say too. When things get so complicated, I stumble at best muddle through. I wish that our lives could be simple, I don't want the world only you. Oh I wish I could tell you this face to face, but there's never the time, never the place, so this letter will have to do. I love you."
When she finished she had tears in her eyes.
"Wow, I didn't know you can read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs."
"What? Did I say that out loud? I didn't mean too, I mean, of course I can't read hieroglyphs. I read the translation underneath." She pointed at the inscription underneath.
"Actually that's only the translation for half of the letter. I wasn't able to make out the rest of it." Chris said very impressed by what he had just heard. Although this was no proof of what the letter really contained, it sounded logical to him.
"But how…? Must be my imagination. I've got too much fantasy. I always made up my own little stories when I was a kid. I could loose myself completely in my fantasy-world and play for hours. I'd forget everything around me. Usually I pretended that I was a Nubian princess who sailed across the Nile. I sat in the bathtub and used it as my boat and a bed-sheet as my sail. Pretty silly, don't you think?"
"Not at all. You definitely look like a princess." Their eyes met and both stood still in silence for a minute, not capable of speaking.
All of a sudden Chris slowly leaned in and came closer and closer to her face. 'Oh my god, he's going to kiss me' Rachel thought. Although she couldn't imagine anything more beautiful as that, she dugged away and walked towards another show-case.
"And what's this? Looks very interesting." She pointed at an old dirty mug.
"It's a mug. Used as … well, a mug." 'Why did I have to do that? I almost ruined everything.' Chris kept asking himself. 'Gillian is my girlfriend, not her. What if she will tell her?' He bit his lower lip until it hurt.
"I didn't mean to..", he began saying but Rachel covered his mouth with her finger.
"I know. Don't worry." Very reserved they continued with the tour through the rest of the exhibition. Chris simply pointed out the facts and Rachel listened. They ended up at the tomb again.
"Well, that's about it. 10 months of work displayed in a few show-cases."
"But very impressive work. Thank you for the tour, I enjoyed it a lot."
"You are very welcome. Anytime."
They both felt a little awkward, not knowing what to say next. Rachel knew the best thing for her, was to leave.
"I should go home now.", she finally said.
"Sure. I should get back to work anyway.", Chris scratched his head and shifted uneasy from one foot to another.
"Yes. You must be busy."
"Do you have a boyfriend?" 'Damn me. I did it again. Gosh, think before you talk Chris.'
"I'm sorry, that's really non of my business. Never mind."
Rachel smiled, he was really cute when he was embarrassed. "No, I don't have a boyfriend, but as far as I remember you are dating my best friend." This wasn't only a reminder for Chris but also for herself…
"Yes. Of course you're right. I haven't forgotten that. I was just… curious… Take care of yourself, I'm sure we'll meet again… after all, I'm dating your roommate and I'm… very glad I do, because she really is a wonderful person and I'm … very happy and… I'm stuttering again. Sorry. I really should get going now."
"Probably. I'll see you soon. Goodbye." She smiled at him again and turned around. The next moment she disappeared through the doors.
"I'm such a fool." Chris said to himself and walked away in the opposite direction towards his office.
To be continued.