Scarborough Fair

I don’t know if you can imagine living for all eternity.  I believe you can wish for such a thing without fully realising exactly what you are asking for but I do not believe you can understand what it means to live for all eternity.  The things that I have seen and done would split your mortal minds in to atoms, floating away on the wind. The pain that I have caused and the pain that I have suffered should not belong to one person alone in this world.  When you have nothing but time to keep you company she is a cruel mistress. Life has no meaning, you wander many paths but each leave you empty and alone.  Everything around you eventually turns to dust. Time to me is as a sentence of death without the relief that death brings. My words are no doubt a comfort to you and your mortality but what use are my words here, there is only one traveller, only one who shifts through time as a sandstorm, who witnesses the birth of civilisations and their subsequent destruction.  Memories are my comfort and my curse. I have lived many happy lives and I have loved many times.  I learnt to deal with death after the first century, everyone who had ever met me or who had ever heard my name had gone, I was an orphan of life itself, alone and abandoned only my chosen and beloved Arcana knew my secret and kept me from harm but even the Arcana fade and die in time, I can prolong their lives for one millennia using the very sands of time that I control but as with all things they return to the heavens when that time is over. Gabriel is young, he has only served seven of his years to me, an innocent child if you will, in the ways of the world he is naive but he is loyal and steadfast and his warriors hand is only bettered by my own even now.  He will be a true Arcana, the stuff of his own legends and my only true companion.

I watch from the window of the limousine, protected by its dark glass, I am a voyeur to the streets beyond. The earth carries on spinning every day and I spin with it a graceful ballerina balancing on top of the world.  To assume a semblance of a normal life I work as a professor of history for the Collinson University.  I also write `fictional` historical books, I have won several literary prizes for how I, I quote `bring history to life as no other, it is as if it the events themselves were witnessed first hand` `in touch with the common man, Beales words echo the voices of very history itself`  I confess it made me more than chuckle.

`What time do you need collecting tonight ?` Gabriel enquired. The limo pulled up outside the faculty department and I grabbed my books and briefcase `I have some papers to grade so perhaps around 6.30 `.  I made my way out of the car `Remember we have reservations at Fiela`s tonight` he prompted, I nodded in agreement as I closed the car door behind me.

I began to walk towards the building when the faint strains of music stopped me in my tracks, it was familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. I strained my ears to listen, every now and then the breeze brought wafts of the music to me like a scent the scent of lavender.

The scent of lavender filled her lungs as Brighid walked from stall to stall.  The market brought with it such wondrous scents and a magic was in the air, it was the summer festival and with that came music and merriment a chance to dance, a chance to sing, it was bliss and Brighid hoped that everyday in heaven was summer festival. She picked a bunch of lavender

`Is it for your sweetheart lassie ?` Brighid smiled a knowing smile `Wouldn’t you like to know Mr. Swithsome but it is not polite to ask a lady such things` he chuckled `I am only joshing with you Brighid, be on your way now`.

As she meandered through the delights of the festival she heard the strains of music softly at first then louder as she neared it. What a beautiful song she thought, the words comforted her like a blanket they wrapped her in warmth `Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, remember me to the one who lived there, he once was a true love of mine` it was then that she saw him, his blonde hair shone like the sun in the glow from the fire, he was so handsome, she longed to rush towards him to put her lips to his, to hold him close. They crossed the field towards each other the words of the song like an echo for their love. They brushed hands with only a knowing glance and a bunch of lavender passing between them yet their love lingered on into the night.

`Beautiful isn’t it ?` Jason Dillenger held open the door for me to enter.

`Yes` I said `What is it ?`

`It is an outdoor promotion for the folk festival this weekend, some group called Triniti, I think this one is Scarborough Fair`

`Yes it is` I sighed that was exactly what it was.

`Familiar with their work then ?` I looked over half puzzled `No it reminded me of something from a very long time ago my first love` It was Jason’s turn to look puzzled `In to folk music was he ?` I snorted to myself  `Yeah something like that`.