Verschattet » Philemon and Baucis

Philemon and Baucis – Letzter Teil

Stef — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:06:48 +0000

It was almost December when the old lady left us. We did not have the chance to say good-bye, for she must have left before dawn and without anyone noticing. Never again did we meet her, however, she had left us the only thing she had owned: An old worn-out copy of Greek legends left open at the story of ‘Philemon and Baucis’, which was the last story I had read to her.

My wife and I had often spoken about this incident, however, we never mentioned the question the lady had asked the both of us. I guess we were both wondering in secret what she might have meant. Looking back, we did indeed live a happy and fulfilled life. We were blessed with the gift of endless love, the gift of wonderful children, and never had anything to fear at all. As I had wished the first time I saw her, we spent our lives together and she was the best thing that had ever happened to me. We grew old together, saw our children grow up and leave the house, watched them caring for their own families.

Again it was a cold night in December, ironically exactly the same night the old lady had left us, when I was sitting in front of the fire-place holding my beloved wife in my arms. I rocked her gently telling her the story of ‘Philemon and Baucis’, like we had always done on this night in December. Just as I told of the couple’s simultaneous death, turning them into two trees living of one trunk, united in endless love, both our grips tightened, a last loving glance, and we both knew.

This night was almost 600 years ago today. And still my wife is lying in my arms, and I love her as much as I did then, and I am most grateful that I didn’t and will not have to live a single second without her by my side.

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Philemon and Baucis – Teil 2

Stef — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:55:00 +0000

The maid had prepared some soup and a hot cup of tea, we had called for the doctor, and had put the old lady to bed. It had only taken a week when she first opened her eyes. First, she seemed to be very scared, but after she had looked into my wife’s soothing eyes, who had not left the side of her bed, she smiled as if she knew that she was in good hands. Only very slowly did she regain her strength; however, she recuperated surprisingly quickly from her pneumonia. During all the time she stayed with us, she would never tell where she had come from or what had happened to her, she always said that it would be far too frightening to tell or even to lose one single word about it. Though she remained silent on the ‘past topic’, she would constantly repeat how grateful she was and what wonderful people we were, that we, despite our wealth, hadn’t lost track of the really important things in life like compassion, sympathy and brotherly love. Funny, I should have realized this woman’s specialty when she always concluded her gratitude-speech with the words: “You will be highly rewarded for your generosity!”

One night, when I sat on her bed, reading a story to her from her book, she asked me something rather strange: “If there was one thing you’d wish for more than anything in your life – what would this be?” I thought about this question for a long time before giving my final answer: “I wish my wife and I would never be separated for a single minute. I wish we could both die at the same time so that neither of us have to go through the grief of being alone, not even for the shortest period of time imaginable! Losing her, my heart would turn to stone!” The old lady smiled in sympathy and deep respect. I should never know that she had asked my wife the same question and that my love had expressed the exact same wish.

… to be continued …

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Philemon and Baucis – Teil 1

Stef — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 20:24:06 +0000

“Almost 600 years ago,” I thought to myself. “Yes, this September it will be 600 years ago.” Still, after all this time I loved her like on the first day we met. Of course we had also had rough times, and chuckling to myself, I thought what couple would have had no fights in a relationship. When I saw her for the first time, I had known right from the start that she was the woman I wanted to spend my life with, for she was the answer to my silent questions, my angel – to love her was my being and nothing else.

Both my wife and I hadn’t realized then that this one day when we helped that old, wrinkly woman lying in the ditch would change our lives, or rather our deaths, so dramatically. It was on a cold evening in September, extremely cold for that time of the year, and my wife and I were just returning from a dinner party at our friend’s cottage in the hills of Scotland, when my wife asked to stop the carriage for something she had seen in the ditch. Unbelievable, an old woman almost all covered-up with mud lay in the ditch, barely breathing. As we carried her into our uncomfortable but warm carriage the lady did not show any signs of life; however, when we continued our way home, she moaned once in a while when we drove over rough roads. The lady’s appearance was old, dirty, and worn out. Her clothes were ripped and we could tell that she can’t have eaten for a long time since she was just skin and bones. What might have had happened to this poor thing?

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