The Oak Tree

Once there lived a young time traveler. To find answers to mysteries of the past, he would travel all around time. Strangely, every time he traveled back anywhere in the past, he would notice the same figure over many periods. The figure was that of a beautiful young girl. She didn’t play any major part in the events that went on, but she was always there, never changing her youthful looks. The young girl had caught the traveler’s interest. 

One time, the traveller decided to talk to her, to find out who and, most importantly, what she was. She replied, “I am unable to die, for I am immortal”.

After the girl went on to question the time traveler about who he was as well, the time traveler also caught the immortal’s interest. The time traveler replied, “I am a time traveler from the future, traveling to solve the mysteries of the past”.

The kind-hearted immortal offered the time traveler to come to her house. The house was below the shade of a beautiful large oak tree and it was full of artifacts from different generations and ancient civilizations. The traveler, willing to learn more, accepted and found many treasures that would help him in his mission.

“Say, what does the world look like in the future?“, asked the immortal. She was an eager little woman who loved all sorts of knowledge.

“Well, it’s quite different from how things are now. Want me to tell you about it?“, suggested the time traveler.

“Oh yes of course!” the immortal exclaimed excitedly.

And so began the friendship of a time traveler and an immortal. They would talk for hours and hours of their times, about how they were used to living life. They talked of events that went on, different kinds of food, fashion, and their changing societies. The immortal even helped the time traveler solve some of his mysteries with her immense knowledge of history. The immortal loved the company of the time traveler, for she did not have anybody to confide in and trust. But soon, the time traveler was due to be back to his time. However, they both promised to meet at the large oak tree that grew outside of the immortal’s home and share each other’s knowledge as more time and events happened.

Each time the seasons changed under the oak tree, the immortal saw the time traveler, but something about the man would change. Little by little, he had soon grown wrinkles in places he didn’t before and his body seemed to grow old and frail as time passed. Instead of running around eagerly and doing his research, the man now would calmly sit and talk. The immortal didn’t mind the slight changes, as long as she could keep talking to him.

After many, many years have passed, the visits from the time traveler ceased. And yet to the girl, their promise was unbroken. Every time the girl was under the tree, she prayed that he might return. She would love to hear him talk one last time. The immortal waited and waited, forever long in the shade of the large oak tree.