Timeless

Ever since he was a child, Xavier had never been alone. Even though both his parents had jobs that lasted long hours and they were never home, he still had a friend to play and talk to. His parents had hired a caretaker for him, but she never paid any attention to the young boy who only came out of his room for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even then, his friend followed him. They had never once been apart.

Xavier was now 23 years old and living alone in his own house in Hunterville. He never left the house except for food. He was a smart young man and was well-informed on events throughout history, including information on events that were happening at that moment and in the future. This was all thanks to his one and only friend who had never left him. Her name was Nirvana, and to those who had never known a being like her, she was a ghost.

--One day, young Xavier was sitting in his room crying because he needed changing.  His parents were at work and his caregiver was asleep on the sofa. He had been crying for several minutes and had not been tended to. It was that day that Nirvana appeared to the infant Xavier and formed a bond that would last longer than life. She bathed and changed him, taught him to speak in Latin first, then English, and taught him to read and write, all in the space of three months.

Xavier now runs a successful company from his home with the help of Nirvana. They were made for each other. They both knew how they felt for each other but they also knew it was impossible. They had a forbidden romance. Most would say that ghosts can’t feel anything, that ghosts aren’t real. Nirvana is a spirit, which means she is a soul without a body. Because she was born without a body, she has infinite knowledge. She isn’t restrained by things like eyes, hunger and weather, and she can change her appearance to anything so long as it’s female. She always appears as a young, tall woman with long, wavy, dark hair. She was always in the latest clothes so that, even though she could become invisible at will, she would fit in when she accompanied Xavier in the outside world.

They lived together for years; Nirvana helped Xavier with his company whenever she could, and, although she was not confined to this earth, she stayed by his side, night and day, rain or shine, until the day he turned 25 years old.

-I left Xavier one night while he slept. Time doesn’t exist to spirits like me. I had to attend a meeting at the request of the Gods, whose will all were bound to. I found myself in the Hall of Old in the place humans call Heaven. Inside were all Gods from all races and religions. “Nirvana, you have been called here to discuss your apparent ‘attachment’ to the life of a male human named Xavier.” The one called Zeus said, “You must move on.”

“I refuse, you cannot make me.” I replied.

“We can have your life and soul.” Hades replied.

“But I have done nothing wrong. You cannot do this to us!”

“We can and we will,” this time it was Vulcan who replied. “If you co-operate then we will let you go back to him in due time. But for now you must be apart.” When he had finished I was back in Xavier’s room, looking at him sleeping. I crawled into his bad for the last time and thought about how to tell him the news. It was that night that I did the most human thing I had ever done in my almost timeless life, I slept.

When I woke up Xavier was still asleep. I looked at the clock and saw that it was 8:04. I got up and made breakfast for the man I had never left. I made his breakfast and set it on the table just as he walked into the room. “Good morning” I said.

Hey.”

“I have some bad news.”

“Oh?”

“I had a meeting with the Gods and...”

“And?”

“And I have to go.” The words came out as if they burned. There was silence for what seemed like an eternity.

“When?”

“Soon”

“Will I be able to contact you?”

“No”

Oh”

“I’m sorry. I never wanted this”

“I know”

“The Gods are cruel”

“I curse them all with a passion” he said in agreement. “How long will you be away?”

“I don’t know”

“Oh. When you come back, I’ll be waiting here, no matter what”

“I’ll never forget you”

“And I’ll never forget you. I love you Nirvana, I always have”

“I love you too” I walked forward and we held each other in our arms. I kissed his lips and faded away, leaving him for the first time in his life.

Xavier opened his eyes and saw that she was gone. For the first time in his life he felt empty and alone. He had no idea what to do. He wasn’t prepared for this and had no idea how to react. He ate his breakfast and went to bed. While he was lying there, thinking of Nirvana, it finally hit him that she wasn’t coming back. When he realised this, he did something he hadn’t done since he and Nirvana first meet. He cried as though his heart had gone.

Years passed and everyday Xavier lit a new candle. Xavier soon forgot about Nirvana but kept lighting candles as a force of habit. He eventually met a beautiful young woman called Alexandria. She was young and had long, wavy, dark hair, and was tall. They got married and had a daughter that they named Hazel. Day in, day out, there was always a candle on the table, waiting to be blown out.

One day, on Xavier’s 45th birthday, exactly 20 years after Nirvana’s departure, Alexandria died in a car crash, leaving Xavier and Hazel alone in the world. On that day, Xavier cried for the first time since that day 20 years ago. However when he wept, he didn’t cry for Alexandria, but for Nirvana.

Since that day, Xavier started working at a local cafe to get away from home, leaving Hazel in the care of his friend Dante.

Two months after Alexandria’s death, Xavier came home to see all the doors and windows shut and an unlit candle on the table. The candle had never been out before. He looked throughout the house but he couldn’t find Dante anywhere. He went to Hazel’s room. As he opened the door, the smell of roses filled his nose. He found her sitting at a small table with three other chairs around it. Two chairs had soft toys in them but the third was empty.

“What are you doing sweetie?” He asked.

“I’m having tea with mummy” Her response brought tears to his eyes as he looked again at the empty chair and saw a young, beautiful woman sitting there. Her long, dark, wavy hair blew in an invisible wind.

“Hi” She said with the soft of an angel.

“Hi”. Hazel watched as the woman stood up and hugged Xavier after 20 long years of waiting, and as the tears streamed down his face, he could only manage to whisper one word into her soft, cool neck. “Nirvana”

-When I first left him I went back. Back to a time before humans. Away from anything that would remind me of him. I cried for the first few days. When I stopped, I went to Heaven and requested an audience with as many Goddesses of love as I could. I got an audience of five Goddesses and made my plea. I begged them to do all they could to let me go back to him. Aphrodite listened to my cries and convinced Venus and Freya to help me as well. The three Goddesses tried to convince Inanna and Ishtar as well but they were adamant not to help me. The three Goddesses that were on my side left to go and convince the Gods.

I went back to Earth and wandered around the world. I saw the changing tides, the Bermuda Triangle and the formation of the Grand Canyon, all the while wishing Xavier was with me. While I was watching the Titanic sink, I was called to a meeting with the Gods. Osiris was the first to speak. “Nirvana, we have heard your request and have made a decision”

“Yes? What is the answer?” I asked impatiently.

“You can go back to Xavier” Odin said.

“But only two months after his wife has died” added Venus.

“Wife?” I asked.

“Yes. In the 20 years you were gone he had a daughter, that he named Hazel, with a woman named Alexandria” Anubis said.

“Oh”

“However, he has not forgotten you. Every day he lights a candle knowing that when you return you’ll blow it out. Also, when his wife died, he cried not for her, but for you Nirvana”

“Now go to him. Extinguish the candle and re-enter his life” Aphrodite commanded. And before I knew it, I was outside that same old house in Hunterville.

“I sent Dante home early” Nirvana told Xavier, “then I found Hazel and we decided to have a tea party. She still thinks I’m her mother.”

“Maybe you could be” He responded.

Many years passed as they lived together again. Hazel grew up and moved out. She eventually married a man named Syler and they had kids of their own. Xavier started up his business again with the help of Nirvana.

As Xavier grew old and his health faded, Nirvana went to Heaven and came back with Aphrodite, Anubis, Thoth, Ammat and Osiris. They held a ceremony for Xavier and Nirvana. The ceremony was long and Xavier had to be judged. They killed him and took him to the afterlife.

Horus was there to lead all seven of them to a large, stone chamber. Every God and Goddess was there, leading them to a stage with a pair of scales on it. Nirvana clutched Xavier’s nervous hand, calming him. Xavier looked down and saw that he was his old 25 year old self again. That’s when he realised that this was his soul.

They reached the stage as Anubis walked forward from behind them and placed a heart and feather on the scales. As soon as they saw it they knew it was Xavier’s heart. The scales tilted left and right. Thoth was writing and Ammat’s jaws were snapping hungrily. “What’s going on?” Xavier asked.

“They’re weighing your heart. Soon Thoth will announce the results.” Nirvana explained. Sure enough, the scales stopped tilting, Thoth stopped writing and Ammat stopped snapping.

“Hear ye this judgment” Thoth announced. “The heart of Xavier hath in very truth been weighed, and his soul hath stood as a witness to him; it hath been found true by trial in the Great Balance. There hath not been found any wickedness in him; he hath not wasted the offering in the temples; he hath not done harm by his deeds; and he uttered no evil reports while he was upon Earth”. Nirvana breathed a sigh of relief as Thoth finished. Ammat sat sulking as the Gods that filled the hall replied together,

“That which cometh forth from thy mouth hath been ordained. Xavier, the human of wisdom, triumphant, is holy and righteous. He hath not sinned, neither hath he done evil against us. Let it not be given to the devourer Ammat to prevail over him. Meat-offerings and entrance into the presence of the God Osiris shall be granted into him, together with a grant of land in the Field of Offerings, as for the Followers of Horus”. Nirvana loosened her grip on Xavier’s hand, and it was only then that he realised how hard she had been squeezing. After this, most of the God’s left only Zeus, Aphrodite, Venus, Freya, Osiris, Odin, Isis and Thoth remained. They gathered around the spirits Nirvana and Xavier. Aphrodite, Venus, Freya and Isis stepped forward and held out their hands towards the pair. They felt the air rushing around them and they became lighter. The Goddesses lowered their hands and stepped back, all except Isis, who stood directly in front of the pair.

“You two are now eternally bound to each other. No matter how far apart you are, you will always be able to find each other. You both are now no longer bound by time or space. You can continue living on Earth, or you can live in the realm the Gods, either way, the choice is yours and you can come and go as you wish. I wish you both luck and a very happy and eternal existence”. At this all the Gods were gone and Xavier and Nirvana were left alone.

They travelled back to Earth, flying together through time, watching everything happen before them. They lived both in Heaven and on Earth for all eternity, and never left each other’s side.

Their love was timeless.

The End.