Chapter 17: Casting Centuries Aside

(Aisha)

"Aisha, is that you?" a voice screeched.

Oh, dear God, not again, I thought. All morning since Murray and I walked through the door, we'd been bombarded by people we used to be friends with, people we knew, and people we didn't know, but knew us. I didn't really feel likedoing this, soI'd escaped to the side of the room, but someone found me.

"Missy Peterson!" I exclaimed, trying to match her level of enthusiasm. "Oh, my God!"

We both shrieked and hugged.

"It's so good to see you!" Missy exclaimed.

"And you!" I replied, plastering a face smile on my face for the fiftieth time that day.

I was lying through my teeth. It wasn't good to see Missy Peterson at all. In college,she was the snobbiest, bitchiest, sluttiest girl in the dorm. She was a bitch to me until the month before graduation. But, still, now I had to be civil.

"So, what have you been up to?" Missy asked.

"Nothing much," I answered. "You?"

"I work for Gucci," Missy bragged. "I'm head of my own division and I have a great salary. What about you?"

"Well, I teach an after-school art class," I answered.

"That's all?" Missy wrinkled up her nose in disgust.

Oh, no don't hold back on my account, I said mentally.

"No, actually," I said aloud. "I also paint. I have a few art galleries in SoHo and MOMA."

"What's MOMA?" Missy asked.

"The Museum of Modern Art," I said.

"Oh," Missy said, laughing. "I hardly know what that is. You know, working in fashion and all."

Oh, yes fashion influences the world more than art does, which makes your job superior to mine, I thought, bitterly. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying that out loud.

"Where to you reside now?" Missy asked.

"I 'reside' on the upper west side," I replied. "What about you?"

Like I care, I added mentally.

"Oh, I live in a penthouse on the East Side with Vinny," Missy bragged.

"Vinny?"

"My husband, Vinny. Vinny Marshall. You remember Vinny, don't you?"

Oh, yes, I remembered Vinny. Vinny Marshall was Missy's boyfriend all through college. He was the dumbest, horniest guy on campus. Now they were married. Those two deserve each other, I thought.

"Oh, you're married now?" I asked, trying to sound interested when I really didn't give a Goddamn.

"Going on five years," Missy boasted, flashing her diamond ring in my face. "What about you? Are you married?"

No, but I met the perfect guy and then two weeks ago I lost him, I answered mentally.

"No, I'm still single," I replied.

"Oh, poor Aisha," Missy said in a sympathetic tone, putting her hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll find someone before you die."

"Missy, I'm twenty-nine," I said.

"Yes, I know," Missy said. "It's a lonely age, I know. But, you'll find someone before you hit forty."

This woman couldn't be any snobbier. I just needed to get away from her.

"You know what?" I said. "I think I see someone else I know. It's been great."

"Keep in touch," Missy said, as I walked away.

Doubtful, I replied, mentally. I sped-walked out of the room and bumped into to someone almost spilling red wine all over my white sundress.

"Sorry," I said.

I walked out of the room and into the library next door. I never really went in the library in college and right now it looked totally deserted. I wanted nothing more than to get away from everyone right now, so I walked right in and sat down in the section labeled "mythology."

Hearing Missy brag about her husband just made me think of Roderick and how I'd lost him. I didn't exactly wanted to marry him, but if he asked me………….well it didn't matter now. He was out of my life forever.

I once again felt tears coming on. I felt like I'd opened a floodgate of emotions yesterday. I hated it. I looked up to rub my eyes to keep from crying when I saw a book sticking out on the shelf. Wanting to distract myself, I stood up and took the book from it's place.

The title read "Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida". Aida. That was my name. Well, when I was asleep it was. Apparently this was an Egyptian legend. Curious, I sat down with the book and started reading. Everything about the legend seemed so familiar. Had I read this book before? Or had I heard the legend?

I read about Aida's lover, Radames. Radames! That was the Egyptian guy's name in my dream! Spooky, I thought.

I started reading about the female Pharaoh, Amneris. Amneris. That was the mannequin that was displayed in the Met. When I was at the back I read that some of the artifacts that were believed to be from the legend were actually displayed at the Met. The tomb…………..the mannequin of Amneris………………The model of the ship…….

Suddenly my cell phone rang jerking me from my thoughts.

"Where are you?" said Murray's worrisome voice.

"I'm at the library, Dad," I said.

"So, you ran into Missy Peterson, too?" Murray asked.

"Oh, yes," I replied.

"Do you want to ditch and catch a movie with Amy?" Murray asked.

"Actually, there's someplace I have to be," I replied.

"Where?"

"I'll give you the details later."

I put the book back on its shelf and then grabbed my coat and left. Then I got in a cab and headed towards the Metropolitan museum.

(Roderick)

I was taking my time packing without realizing it. After yesterday, all I packed was the silverware, so Amy came back to help me back. I knew Amy and Murray wouldn't move in until I was reading to leave, but I had arranged some movers to pick up my stuff and I had a flight to catch, so I really had to get going.

I started packing my books (which, I barely read) when I came across a book that I had never seen before. The title read: "Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida." Aida. That was the name of theNubian girl I kept dreaming about (or Aisha).

I took the book of the shelf and examined it, trying to figure out where I'd gotten it. I didn't remember buying it.

"New book?" Amy asked.

"Actually, it looks pretty old," I said.

"Oh, wait a minute," Amy said. "Your weird neighbor gave you that as your housewarming gift. What was her name?……………….Oh, yeah. Mrs. Dominski."

That's when it suddenly came back to me. Mrs. Dominski was a widow who lived next to me. She always gave me weird presents on holidaysand when I moved in, she had given me this book, which was once hers.

The book looked interesting, so I sat down and started to read it.

"Hey!" Amy said, grabbing the book out of my hands. "Pack now, read later!"

"Woman, give me back my book," I snapped.

"'Woman?'" Amy repeated.

"I'm annoyed," I said. "What do you expect me to call you when I'm annoyed?"

"How about my name?" Amy replied. "And how about getting back to packing?"

"We'll do it tomorrow," I said. "I promise."

"All right," Amy shrugged and dropped the book in my lap and walked out the door. "See you tomorrow."

I gave a short little wave and then started reading the book. Everything was so familiar. It was like I already knew them, especially Amneris and Aida. Amneris……….the first female pharaoh. At the back of the book I read that some of the artifacts that were assumed to be in the legend were displayed at the Metropolitan Museum. That could only mean………..

I grabbed my coat and left and then took the bus to the Met.

To Be Continued……….

A/N: Kind of repetitive, but I didn't know what else to do. The final chapter is coming soon.