Lingering

“Jesus Christ”

My brother Max was looking at his laptop. I assumed it was work. It wasn’t. He was looking at a shot to the imploded tin can of a submarine that went down to visit the wreck of the Titanic.

I put my hand on his shoulder and looked at the picture of the event that should have never happened. Just like the Titanic should have never sunk, or at least if it had, everyone should have survived. 

Max has been on several ship that have gone down, including the Titanic. He doesn’t talk about it much. Not the Titanic. Not the others. Since he is a Vampire, with a low body temperature, and well, you know, he is a Vampire, so he survived.

We were in the parlor at the home of the ancient Vampires Eleora and Tellias. They look like badly dressed college students, but nobody really knows how old they are. Tellias is about 2,500 years old more or less. As for Eleora, she is older, and was born well before recorded time. They’ve been together for 2,031 years. That might be a record.

Eleora is fading away, like people do when they get exceptionally old or ill. Our hearts are broken, but we still show up. Memory has left her brain, except for a few scraps, like jotted down notes left in the bottom of an old purse. She always remembers who I am. She usually remembers Max. The memories of friends with names she can’t remember linger in her mind and in her heart. 

I think about when Eleora and I would walk the orchards, first marveling at the spring blossoms covered with bees, then months later going back to pick fruit, then walking along kicking fall leaves, and at last taking walks in the cold winter fog under bare yet beautiful branches. We used to laugh, and dance, and she would sew me beautiful dresses, and we’d talk for hours. She was always there for me. And now she isn’t, but in a way, she is, because she still loves me and remembers me, as I hold her cold hand as she nods off into yet another nap.

Tellias asked Max to help him replace a belt on the old truck. While they were at it, they also washed and detailed it. Yes, nobody ever thinks that even Vampires need to keep their cars up and running. 

Max’s fiancée Mehitabel came in from a walk down to the river and sat down next to us. Her eyes were red from crying. She put her head on Eleora’s shoulder.

“Why are your eyes red?” Eleora asked. “Is it Max?”

“Just allergies,” said Mehitabel. “Max is wonderful. It isn’t him.”

Eleora just smiled and then closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Max and Mehitabel will stay the night. I’ll be back in a day or two. We’ll do what we need to do because that is what you do when you love someone.

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman