Calgary, February 2022
Christopher wanted to be forever young. That was not surprising, everybody wants that, but for Christopher it wasn’t just an impossible dream. He thought he can make it a reality.
It all started a long time ago when he was in his twenties. He graduated in archeology from the university of Athens and a topic of his thesis was research of the events described in Homer’s epic poem Odyssey. How much of this could be true? It was an interesting topic, his supervisor liked it and recommended him as a candidate for the position of the Assistant professor of archology at the same university. Christopher got a job offer, accepted it and at the same time, he also found the love of his life, Maria. Then things got even better. Christopher was included into the expedition to the mythical island of Ogygia. This island, believed to be the today’s island of Gozo in the Maltese archipelago, is where Odysseus stayed for seven years with the nymph Calypso. She promised him eternal youth if he stays with her forever, but after seven years Odysseus returned home to his wife Penelope.
Christopher was happy to be a member of the expedition, but Maria didn’t share his enthusiasm.
“You will leave me alone for several weeks?” she asked.
“Maria, this is a lifetime opportunity for me. It will advance my career.”
Maria was a good wife and didn’t complain. The expedition sailed, but then something terrible happened. While approaching the island of Gozo, there was a huge storm, and the ship was smashed against the rocks of the island. Christopher passed out and when he regained consciousness, he was laying on a deserted beach. There was no sign of the ship or of any survivors, but a beautiful woman was sitting beside him.
“Hello Christopher, welcome to my island,” she said.
“Who are you?”
“I am Calypso. You wrote about me in your thesis.”
“You cannot be Calypso. She is just a nymph in a legend.”
“Yes, that's me and this is my island.”
“What happened to the ship and to the crew?”
“The ship sunk, and the crew is dead.”
“Did you cause the shipwreck?”
“Yes, I wanted just you.”
“Why?”
“Because you wrote so nicely about me in your thesis.”
“You read my thesis?”
“Yes, I am a nymph and can do whatever I want.”
“So, what do you want from me?”
“I want you to stay with me and you will be forever young.”
“But I love my wife.”
“Yes, but she will get old and wouldn’t look so beautiful to you anymore.”
“But I still would like to return to her.”
“OK, but before you make a final decision, let me show you my island.”
Calypso got up, held Christopher by hand and lead him to her mansion. The place was beautiful, with a golden decoration and with all the conveniences of a modern life. Calypso prepared food, they drank exotic wine and then Calypso took Christopher to her bedroom. She undressed both, pushed Christopher to bed and pressed her body against his. Christopher loved his wife, but he was a young man, and no young man can resist a beautiful, naked woman. They made love and then went swimming in the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It was truly spectacular.
“You still want to return to your wife?” asked Calypso.”
“I can stay for few more days.”
Few more days turned to weeks and then to a month. Christopher enjoyed his new life with Calypso but felt more and more guilty. He left the woman he loved and betrayed her with a nymph. One day he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Calypso, I have to return. I miss my wife too much.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am sure.”
“OK, but before you leave, I want to give you something so you wouldn’t forget me.”
She took a beautiful golden ring a put it on Christopher’s finder.
“Now go!”, she said.
At that moment Christopher found himself in his house, sitting at the dinner table, with Maria smiling at him.
“How was your day, dear?” she asked.
Christopher was stunned. “Didn’t you miss me?”
“I always miss you, but I can be one day without you.”
“Was I away for one day?”
“What do you think? Did you fly to the Moon?”
Christopher couldn’t believe it. His whole life with Calypso must have been a dream, but then he saw the golden ring on his finger. Maria noticed it too.
“Who gave you this beautiful ring?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I am really confused.”
“You don’t know? It must have been one of your student female admirers,” said Maria laughing.
In a way, she was right. Calypso did read his thesis. Christopher then asked:
“What happened with that expedition to Gozo island?”
“Don’t you remember? The whole expedition disappeared, and nobody knows why. I am so glad that they didn’t accept you at that time. Otherwise, you would be dead, and I would be a widow.”
Christopher didn’t understand anything and tried to forget the whole episode with Calypso, but he couldn’t. I wasn’t a dream; the ring was a proof of that. Time was passing, they were getting old, and Christopher remembered Calypso’s words: “Your wife will get old and wouldn’t look so beautiful to you anymore.” Christopher felt that Calypso was right and was wandering if her promise of eternal youth was still valid. He had to find out.
“Maria, I must make a trip. It will take few days.”
“There to?”
“To the island of Gozo.”
“That’s where the expedition disappeared fifty years ago. Why do you want to go there?”
“I hope to find something there.”
“And what do you want to find?”
“I want to find eternal youth.”
They both laughed, but for Christopher it wasn’t laughing matter. He meant it. He took a flight from Athens to Malta and a small boat took him to the same beach on Gozo where he was shipwrecked fifty years ago. Then he lied down in the sand and waited. It didn’t take long before Calypso appeared.
“So, you are back.”
“I am. Is your offer of eternal youth still valid?”
“Will you stay with me?”
“I will.”
“In that case the offer is still valid.”
Christopher suddenly became a young man, Calypso took him to her mansion, they had the same food as before and made love in her bedroom. What followed was a repetition of the gone-by days, but Christopher felt even more remorse as at that time. Now Maria was old and had no chance of finding anybody else. After fifty years of living together, Christopher left her alone. He felt as a worst person in the world.
“Calypso, I cannot do it. I have to return.”
“You want to see your wife now?”
“Yes, I do.”
Christopher saw an old woman, his Maria, siting by herself at the dinner table, looking sad.
“Do you really want to return to her?”
“Yes.”
“OK, but I want my ring back.”
She took a ring from Christopher’s finger and repeated her old words: “Now go!”
Christopher was again at home and the magic of the eternal youth disappeared.
“How was your trip? Did you find what you were looking for?” asked Maria.
“No, I didn’t”
Maria then noticed the missing ring.
“What happened to your ring?”
“My female admirer took it back.”
“Don’t worry about it. Your main female admirer is right here.”
Maria then walked to him, gave him a kiss and Christopher smiled at her.