When you're asleep the rest of the world stops, your problems are obsolete and your tears are outdated, there's no pain except for in your nightmares. I love sleeping more than I'd care to admit, when I'm asleep I don't miss him, I don't have the capacity to miss him, instead I lie in bed, absent minded about what's going on around me, the ironic thing is that I can never get to sleep, and I think that's true of us all.
But, even when I've fought my own thoughts to sleep, like an unending war against myself that I have to fight every night, there are circumstances where I can forgive being woken up. Death, that one is easy to forgive. News, it depends on what it is. But, the one thing I never think of is happiness, I could forgive being woken up by my happiness, even when sleep is the only thing that keeps me awake enough to live through the day.
One of those things is calling me right now, just as I'm drifting off, either someone is dead, someone has news that just couldn't wait, or my happiness is calling me. The last one seems unlikely "what?" I grumble into my phone, someone had better be dying, I refuse to get out of bed for anything else.
"I think you should go to the museum" that voice sounds familiar, in my half dazed state it takes me a while to match the voice to a face.
I sit up in bed and rub my eyes "Larry? Where have you been I've been calling you..."
"Everything is fine, but you need to get up, okay? And you need to go to the museum"
I'm too tired for this, the world was so close to being a blur, I was almost numb to the pain that I keep bottled inside, all because I miss him like I'd miss my own heart if it was gone, phone calls and text messages aren't enough anymore, the last time I saw him in person was 6 months ago. I need to hold him, I need to smell him, see him, hear him while he's standing in front of me. Yesterday I was worried, calling people I don't know because no one would answer their phones, I felt helpless, out of the loop, I couldn't do anything to make sure he was okay, and now I have Larry the avoider on the phone being too vague for this time of day "in New York?"
He laughs quietly, I'm glad he's happy, I've been worried sick for days, I should be happy to hear that Larry is okay, but the feeling is lost on me right now, I'm too tired to function "no, the one in London, Ahkmenrah's parents are there, they have something that might help" help what? My sadness? My loneliness despite never being alone except for these moments before I go to sleep?
"I'm confused" I mumble into the phone, if he doesn't stop being vague then I'm going to put the phone down, I can go visit Ahkmenrah's parents tomorrow, it's not like they're going anywhere.
Larry sighs, he must be busy, taking a moment out of his busy schedule to talk to me, that must be why he's trying to convince me quickly, he's on the clock "just... trust me, okay? You'll thank me later"
"Fine. I'll go to the museum at this really inconvenient time of night, when they're closed, oh by the way did you know that breaking and entering is still a crime here?" Why am I so angry? Is it the fact that I'm loosing sleep? My sadness? My worry? Days of worry that only lead up to this phone call? Maybe I'm not angry, maybe I'm just moody, tired, sleep depraved, who knows?
"I called in a favour with the night guard there, she'll let you in. Look I have to go I'm about to deliver some very bad news to the museum board" before I can say anything the line goes dead. Well now I'm at a cross road, looking at the road that leads to sleep and a moment of numbness, and the other road that leads to an uncertain destination. Who needs sleep anyway?
I get dressed quickly after splashing my face with cold water, I'm not ready for the world yet, but it would seem that it has something planned for me, so naturally I have to follow the path laid out for me by Larry, the night guard. I get a taxi and head for the museum, my head rested against the cold window, Londons night life passing me by. This episodic life of mine seems to feel more spontaneous the closer I get to the museum, like I'm being pulled to it. Every night with Ahkmenrah was spontaneous and uncertain, we never had anything planned the day before, everything we did was decided on that day. This feels like that somehow, I have no idea why Larry really wants me at this museum, and it's starting to feel exciting.
As we pull up to the gate I notice a woman on the other side, she must be the night guard. I walk up to her with my hands in the pockets of my hoodie, for some reason I feel less tired now, less dependent on sleep "are you El?" She asks in a common accent.
"Yeah, why am I here?" The million dollar question.
"Larry thinks there's something here that you might want'a see" I can immediately tell that she's an awkward person, maybe it's just a night guard thing. Without further inquiry she opens the gate and lets me in, walking with me up the steps and into the museum, the first thing I notice is that all the exhibits are alive, is there a second tablet? "I know right" she says as I look around, she probably thinks I haven't seen this before "I only started with this whole, coming to life at night thing like a few days ago, and like, I'm still not used to it"
I just smile in reply as we walk deeper into the museum, avoiding the exhibits where they 'haven't been trained' according to Tilly, who couldn't wait to introduce herself "where are we going?"
"You're going through there, turn right and then right to the end of the room" as in by myself? What if I get eaten? I'm starting to get the impression that this museum has only just started coming to life, from what Teddy told me they all found it rather disorientating in their first week "you'll obvs know why you're here when you like, see it" she dances away, humming a song to herself.
I guess I have no choice but to just get this all over with. As I follow Tilly's directions I think about what an honour it will be to meet Ahkmenrah's parents, I bet they'll be cool, maybe a little stiff, but overall they'll probably be happy to hear that Ahk is living a good life in America.
Eventually I find the Egyptian exhibit, I hold in a breath and walk in slowly, is this how Ahk felt when he first met my parents? Hoping to god that they'd like him? Because that's how I feel. As I walk deeper into the room I can see where the two of them would be exhibited, but the two sarcophaguses are open and there's no one around. I keep my eyes peeled for signs of life at the end of the room until I see a shadow, looks like a mans shadow, must be his father, oh my god I'm so nervous.
As the figure emerges into the large tomb from behind one of the walls, I stop dead in my tracks. My breath is stolen and my heart starts to pound, the unhappiness that has been lingering over me like a storm cloud is suddenly gone. All the joy in the world fills my body as a familiar pair of eyes set on me "Ahkmenrah?" I manage to breathe out, trying to hold back my tears of joy.
"Celeste" he says through a smile, perhaps one of the widest I've seen on him yet.
My body jerks forward before my mind has time to think about it, I run as fast as I can towards him, his arms open up for me and as soon as I'm close enough I pounce, jumping onto him and wrapping my legs around his hips, his arms wrap around me like he may never let go. I can't believe he's here, I just... I can't! It's really him! He's here, right now, with me. He smells like he always has and for a moment I contemplate the thought that I might be dreaming.
If this is a dream then I'm going to take full advantage of it for as long as it lasts, and I'll do the same if it isn't. I start to kiss him frantically, trailing quick kisses from his neck, to his jaw, his cheek, and finally his lips, where I kiss him like it could be our last "oh my god" I say as I pull away, but then kiss him again, he's real, I know it, I can tell the difference "you're" kiss "really" kiss "here!"
He chuckles and holds me tighter "to stay" even better! I'm so happy I can't even express it, sleep is irrelevant now, the need to feel numb is gone, there's no desire to be absent minded or lost in a fantasy. I can touch him, I can feel him, I can see him, I can smell him, I can kiss him. The world falls away but not like when I'm sleeping, this time it's because I'm in a moment that's overloading my system, I have no room in my entire body to care about anything else but him and me "I'm sorry I haven't called you, my phone got..."
I crash my lips against his and say into his mouth "oh shut up, I don't care I don't care" I pull away and grin "you're here now"
"6 months was far too long my love" he says as he holds me tighter and buries his head in my chest "far too long"
I kiss the top of his head and rest mine upon it, I could die now and I'd be the happiest woman in the world, I'm only 24 years old and already I know more love than most people know in their entire lifetime, this man who is holding me has given me a love that consumes me, a love so passionate and special that I could never feel this way again. The only way I could be happier would be if I were able to have his children, but when I saw him 6 months ago we weren't sure that we could, with him being dead and all "I know, I know I'm sorry"
"Never apologise" he says that nearly every time I say sorry, he hates it when I apologise, I think in his mind, if I say sorry then I have something to say sorry for, and then I'm not as perfect as he sees me. But, I don't mind if he thinks I'm perfect, it just means that I get to surprise him with my imperfections.
"Ugh, I'm just so happy that you're here! And..." I lift his head to look at me "now that we're alone..." I lean my head down to kiss him, but after a few seconds I start to notice that it's me kissing him, he isn't participating at all.
Instead, I can feel his finger tapping at me while he attempts to talk while I kiss him "ummm... honey" I hear in a muffled voice, so I just hum in reply and pull away for a second to allow him to speak "... about that..."
A set of footsteps cut him off, they're coming from where Ahkmenrah appeared. Two ancient Egyptians step out, one male and one female, the man looks older than the young woman by his side, but they both wear crowns on their heads. Oh bugger, I forgot about his parents "uh" is the only thing I can say, his parents just walked in while my legs are wrapped around their sons waist, his arms are tight around me and my lipstick is smeared all over his mouth. Great first impression Celeste! Good job!
"Son, I must assume that this is Celeste, your beloved?" Aw, I'm his beloved.
With an awkward smile from the both of us we untangle ourselves from each other, once my feet are firmly on the ground I offer Ahk a tissue to wipe his mouth , once he's clean he steps forward, smiling confidently "yes, this is Celeste"
"Hi" I offer them a little wave and then mentally kick myself, why don't I just leave now? It'll be a lot less traumatic if I do.
The father stares at me for a second with his eyebrow raised, before composing himself like a king "I am Merenkahre"
His wife steps forward, just as authoritative as her husband "and I am Shepserheret, the glittering jewel of the nine kingdoms" wow, okay.
What do I say? I mean really? I'm internally panicking and the royal family of ancient Egypt is waiting for me to say something "um... I'm Celeste... as you know... beloved of your son" as they also bloody know. Good job me. I do a little curtsy and then hurry next to Ahkmenrah, hoping that he'll comfort me on my massive screw up.
"We have waited four thousand years for our son to present us with a woman" Shepserheret starts as she gently grabs my hands "if he has brought you to us, then you must hold a special place in his heart" it takes all my power not to make a joke and say 'wherever it is', and then there's the fact that he technically didn't bring me to them, Larry did. Despite all that, I can't believe I'm the first woman that they've ever had 'presented' to them by Ahk.
"Really? So long?" Admittedly I know that this is a chance to embarrass Ahk, and I take it! I smirk at him and raise an eyebrow before turning my attention back to his parents.
His mother smiles like a mother would as she looks at Ahkmenrah, love in her eyes "if he ever did love, then it was never enough for him to tell us. But you, you must mean more to him than you know" I could almost cry, I'm starting to feel a little less uncomfortable now, like she's a person and so is Merenkahre.
"He means that much to me too" I say sincerely.
She smiles warmly and strokes my left hand with her thumb, while she lets go of the other one and touches my face "I see why he chose you, you are very beautiful" I probably shouldn't blush, but I can't help it.
Merenkahre steps forward and rests his hand on his wife's shoulder, she lets go of me and steps backwards to be next to him "your mother is right my son" he says to Ahkmenrah before looking down on me "she would be perfect" would be? Why, would? Why not, is?
I furrow my eyebrows and look at Ahkmenrah, wondering if he can explain without speaking, what his father meant, but it seems that he can't "my father is concerned over your mortality" oh. That.
"She will no longer be a suitable bride when she is past her years" I'd knee him in the family jewels if he wasn't a pharaoh, I'm not a carton of milk for Pete's sake! I don't have an expiration date!...well I guess the day I die is my expiration date... but still, you get the point.
Ahkmenrah steps forward as if to challenge his father, he can see that I'm offended "such words are resented in this age, father" to say the least "there must be something we could do, a way to break the tablets hold over me, a way to let me live a mortal life"
His father puts his hand on his shoulder in a comforting manor, that doesn't bode well "if the tablet lost it's hold over you, then you would return to your true form, and in time, to dust"
"But father..."
Merenkahre puts a hand up to silence him "there is no way"