Timeless Love
As the cold steel of the plow digs into the earth, the owner of the plow wipes the sweat from his forehead. It must be the hottest day of the year, 17 year old Nick thought to himself. Though the sun was beating it’s sweltering rays on his tired body, didn’t mean he could stop now. He had chores to do, crops to plant, wood to chop. He continued to plow the field when he noticed one of the horses his family owns wandering near him. It looked just as tired and hot as he, grazing on the little green grass there was, he looked up at Nick with big, tired looking eyes, as if asking him for help.
Nick sets down his plow, there’s no reason he can’t stop a minute and help the old horse. As Nick leads the horse down the small trail to the creek, his mind starts to wander, he begins to think of different things. His life, all his life he’s done the same things, and been to the places. He’s traveled all over woods around his family’s home, hiked up the mountain but never made it to the top. He felt like he wanted more, do more with his life, meet new people. Somewhere in his mind, he felt he was born ahead of his time. Let’s face it, there’s nothing for me here. Yeah, I have my family, but I feel like I’m missing something, he thought as the he and the horse came to the swirling, bubbling creek. The horse happily trotted over and bent it’s head down to lap up the cool water, he let out a satisfied neigh.
“Ready to go back now?”, he asked the horse.
The horse put it’s head up and nudged Nick’s shoulder, “I guess that’s a yes”, he chuckled. He laid his hand on the horse’s back and they made their way back up the trail. That’s when his mind started thinking again, If only I could travel through time, go someplace different. Someplace new. At that moment, the whole earth began to spin, or at least, that’s what it felt like to Nick. The trees, the blue sky, the horse, it all vanished in a bright light. Nick felt as though he was being pulled, suddenly he felt himself fall against something hard. His vision cleared and he saw he was in a busy plaza. People everywhere, children running around. But something was different, the people were different, everything was different. Different clothes, different setting, he looked down at himself noticing he was still wearing his regular black trousers and white long-sleeved shirt. He also noticed some people glancing at him strangely, he began to walk quickly down the busy sidewalk, looking for any sign that would help him figure out where he is.
Then he saw it, a small calendar hanging up in a store window, the year, 1957. He was in 1957, but how could this happen? He only wished he could travel through time and here he was, in the year 1957. Everywhere he looked he saw cars that looked different and more complex than the ones he saw around his own time. Some of them were painted with wild colors and had everything from flames to stripes. Guys had a much different style, leather jackets and blue jeans. They also wore there hair in a style that looked as if they had put motor oil in it; and the girls! So different from girls in his time too. They were girls all the same, but they dressed and acted very differently, here they wore pants and shorter skirts. Nick would’ve been lying if he said he wasn’t amazed by all this. As he started walking down the sidewalk, everything started disappearing again, the cars, the people, there was the same bright light and he again felt like someone was pulling him. This time he landed on something softer, as his eyes adjusted and he realized he was in a field, a huge field, it was nearly dark. He wasn’t alone too, he looked over at the immense crowd just feet away. He couldn’t understand what was going on, there were lights and lots of noise, shouting and what vaguely sounded like singing to him. Nick didn’t know if he was in the same year or not, people dressed much differently here. Men had long hair and everyone wore things like wide-bottomed pants and long shirts that came in bright colors, lots and big, clunky jewelry and different colored glasses.
The loud “music” seemed to be the highlight of everyone’s night as they danced, jumped, went practically wild over it. Nick walked around trying not to bump into anyone, seeing still lit cigarette butts and empty, sometimes smashed beer bottles littered everywhere. He looked up just in time to see a young woman stumble and trip, acting on instincts, he quickly threw out his arms and caught her. Nick could smell the strong stench of alcohol on her breath as he stood her up. She smiled drunkenly and giggled, taking another drink apparently unaware her bottle was empty.
“Um…can you tell me what this is?”, he asked nervously.
“Wha’?”, she slurred her words, “You mus’ be crazy to not know wha’ this is.” Instead of telling him she stumbled away.
Nick had seen enough, concentrating hard on being home, since that seemed to be the way he was able to time travel in the first place. He saw that same bright light, everything disappeared, and he found himself in the middle of the field he was working in earlier, his plow laying in the dirt where he left it. He looked at the sky, the brilliant pink and purple clouds told him it was nearing twilight. He picked up his plow and headed inside, that’s when he heard someone shout his name.
“Nicholas!”, his father’s voice echoed over the hills, “Nicholas, where are you?”
“I’m in the fields!”, Nick shouted.
In only a few minutes he saw his father hurrying through the trees towards him, a look of worry on his aged face. He ran up and took both of Nick’s shoulders shaking him a bit, “Where on earth have you been?”, he asked, “Your mother was worried when you didn’t come inside after you finished your chores. I went out to look for you and couldn’t find you anywhere.”
“I…um…”, Nick thought a moment, should he tell his father about his new found ability? “I…heard something strange in the forest, thought I’d investigate. Sorry I never finished my chores, I promised to do everything tomorrow. I’ll go inside now and tell mother I’m okay.”
Before his father could say anything else to him he turned and hurried to the house. After going through his mother’s lecture on how she was worried sick when he never turned up and if he ever ran off again she’d beat him senseless. Not that he really believed her, every time he got in trouble she always told him things like that. He went to his room and sat at his desk, he picked up the one thing that mattered most to him in his time, his old leather-bound, worn journal. All his experiences, all his adventures were written inside this little book. He opened it up and began to write, June 18.
Today was on of the most exhilarating days of my life. I can travel through time. Some, okay most people would say that’s insane and impossible, but I did it. It was fascinating I tell you. I went to the year 1957, it’s so different from now, people dress and act so differently. Things are different, cars, music, clothes. Then I went to another place, not sure if it was the same time but it sure didn’t look like it. Everyone was jumping and yelling and seemed to be having a good time, the music didn’t sound at all like the music I am used to, it sounded more wild and crazy.
People were even drinking like there was no tomorrow and everything just seemed like chaos to me. I left then, everything today was exciting and even mind blowing. Whatever made me time travel I would very much like to know, I then leave you with parting words, I hope soon I’ll have a better explanation on how this is happening. But even so, now I can truly say that I have time traveled.
~Nick
Over the next few days Nick tried hard not to accidentally time travel and instead focused on his chores and worked hard. He at least owed that to his parents for worrying them, well, worrying his mother anyway. But one day fate had another idea, Nick was working in the field again, plow in the dirt, sweat running down his forehead in another heat of the noontime sun. His mind occupied with the sound of the sharp metal plow digging into the sun baked earth. When it happened, he wasn’t thinking, he wasn’t even wishing to go anywhere, but there was the bright light and everything started to disappear. This time he could not believe where he landed, he smelled the salty scent of the oceans and felt that cool sea breeze. He was on a ship. But to where? He looked around at all the sailors on board, there were a lot of them. They were all wearing red coats too.
Nick had no idea what to do. He could hide, when the ship docks wherever it’s headed he could sneak off board and find out what time he’s in. Or he could try and go home now, he couldn’t understand how he had gotten here when he tried so hard to not time travel. He tried to concentrate again, thinking hard on being home, working in the field again. He braced himself but nothing happened, he thought harder, thought of his parents, how worried his mother’s going to be. What would she say this time? He thought. He thought harder, but still nothing happened.
He wasn’t going to lie, he was afraid he might be stuck here. What if he was? What would happen to him? Would he have to start over and make a life here? What about his parents? What would they think happened to him? He sat on one of the many boxes sitting on the deck. Well…I wanted to go someplace new, have an adventure. Now I’m lost in time.
Present, June 20, 2009.
The strong summer sun beat down on the shoulders of the movers as they carried pieces of furniture into the house. Nikki hung around, carrying a few boxes into the house, exploring her new home with utmost interest. She was excited to move, have a fresh start, back in her old town she didn’t have much friends and kept to herself most of the time. If she wasn’t behind a camera she was sitting in a corner behind a book.
She was one of those quiet, friendly girls who was always helpful. She loved to help people, and in return people just loved her. I just hope I can change a little bit in my new start. She climbed the stairs with a box full of her things. I want to be different this time, a new start is just what I needed. She thought to herself as she climbed the other set of stairs to her attic bedroom. The house her family had moved in was one of the oldest in the neighborhood. There was some, well, a lot of work to be done on it. Just about every stair and floorboard creaked, it almost seemed like the house could collapse at any moment.
Nikki set down her stuff carefully on the floor and explored her new room, her bed, dresser, desk and shelves were already there and in place, she just had to unpack everything. The one thing that was out of place was a small old looking desk sitting in the far corner. How could the movers miss this? She walked up to the desk, she noticed it was covered in a thick layer of dust, it almost looked like grey snow. She took a deep breath and blew hard, sending all the dust to the air. Coughing a little from the dust and waving it away, she took a look at it. It must have been years and years old. She brushed her fingers on the rotted wood, collecting dust on her fingertips. She wiped her hands on her jeans and continued to look through the desk, she pulled open the small drawer in front slowly and saw only one thing that caught her attention. A small leather-bound book lying in more grey snow in the drawer, she picked it up and blew the dust away. Coughing more, she stepped away from the corner and opened the book.
She discovered it was a journal, the name inside it was in neat, cursive writing, Nicholas Jonas. What a nice name, Nikki thought. She wondered how his journal got left in that desk. Maybe something happened to him, maybe he moved and he forgot it. After thinking of possible reasons she began to read some of the entries, she was fascinated by what she read. She sat on her bed and read all about this boy’s life. What she found utterly interesting, he thought of as boring and he thought he wanted more, to do more with his life.
Through the next few days Nikki kept reading about Nick and his life. She finally got to the most recent entry, June 18, 1912. Her eyes grew wide as she read, it was the most interesting entry yet.
But what was about to happen she never had a clue, the last line of the entry she read aloud, “But even so, now I can truly say that I have time traveled.”
She thought hard about this line, she was so deep in thought she never noticed the bright flash of light appear behind her. But she did hear the creaking sound of floorboards and the springs in her mattress being pressed down that made her turn around. At first she was shocked, there on her bed, looking around was a boy. He was dressed differently, almost as if he fell out of a history book, she quickly shut the journal and hid it in her desk drawer. She stood up catching the attention of him, they stared at each other for only a few minutes, Nikki took that time to observe him, he was certainly good looking she had to admit that, deep chocolate brown eyes could be seen under his tri-corn hat, though he was thin, Nikki caught a glimpse of fine muscled arms under the thin fabric of his puffy-sleeved shirt, he couldn’t be more then a year older than she. It was then Nikki broke the silence.
“Who…who are you?”, she asked, thinking this was too strange to be happening.
The boy stood up slowly, “I…my name is Nicholas, but I like to be called Nick.”, he straightened up and gave her a small bow, taking off his hat revealing a head of dark brown curls. Nikki couldn’t help but smile a bit, she always loved boys who acted like gentlemen. Then something clicked in her head.
“You’re Nicholas Jonas?”, she asked pointing to him.
He raised his brow in a puzzled expression, “How did you know my last name?”
Nikki hurried back to her desk and slid open the desk drawer, picked up the journal and clasped it tightly in her hands. “I think this is yours.” She held it out to him.
He took it slowly, “It is mine, thank you.”
Nikki looked down at the floor, she could feel herself blushing but she didn’t know why, she still didn’t believe this was happening, one minute she’s reading about him, the next he’s standing in front of her. She had nothing to say, she didn’t know what to do next, tell her parents? Her father would go ballistic if she told him a boy was in her room, then he’d probably send her to a mental hospital if she thought he really came from 1912.
Nick spoke up this time, “Now I’d like to ask you a question.”
Nikki looked up, hoping her cheeks still weren’t red, “Um…ask away.”
“How come you are in my room?”
“Your room?”, she was confused, then just as fast she got it. Of course this was his room, it had been his room in 1912. In all cases, it still was his room, but she lived here now and if he thought she was going to move out just because he happened to appear he had another thing coming.
“Yes, my room, and all my stuff. Where is it?”, he asked rather defiantly.
“I wish I could tell you but the only things I found that were yours was your desk and your journal.”, she said, trying to stand up taller. She wasn’t going to let him take back his room, it was hers now. She saw his head drop as he sat back down on her bed.
“Well now I really don’t know how I’ll get back now.”, she heard him mutter, then he looked up, “What year is this?”
“It’s…it’s 2009.”, slowly she sat next to him, keeping a good distance as if he were a wild animal. She thought to herself, why not just let him stay? He could easily stay up here without getting caught my her parents. Mom and dad barely come up here since they think they have to respect my privacy. Plus I could help him, help him to fit in, perhaps even gain a friend in the process. “Nick?”
He looked up at her, meeting her gaze.
She bit her lip, “You could stay here if you like, I could help you…fit in. That is if you want to stay.” She looked away, waiting for his answer.
“I, um…that’s very nice of you to offer, but I couldn’t intrude.”
“But where are you going to stay? This is your home.”, Nikki looked up.
“But it is your home now, I don’t want be rude and let you think I’m trying to take it back.”, Nikki looked into his eyes, the honestly and concern in them made her want to beg that he stay.
She sat up straight, “But you won’t be rude, I insist you stay at least until you can get back to your time.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”, Nikki tried to smile, she was sure she could help him, even if it meant losing a new friend.
Over the next few days, Nikki helped Nick fit in to her time. She even bought him a whole new wardrobe to start it off. During those days Nick’s vocabulary wasn’t the only thing growing, the two were becoming fast friends, in between their lessons, they told each other things about themselves. Which usually led to questions on top of questions on top of questions about what something was or how something worked.
One day, much like the others, they were sitting on the fuzzy rug-covered floor of Nikki’s bedroom, Nikki was telling him all about her favorite music and playing them aloud from her iPod. She told him who she liked best and what genre of music she liked best. When one particular song came on, Nick spoke up.
“I remember this song”, he said, “I heard it while I was at Woodstock.”
“Really?”, Nikki’s head perked up at the mention of this. She always dreamed of being able to go to the legendary music festival of the 60s.
Nick then did something that surprised both him and Nikki. He stood up and offered her his hand, “May I have this dance?”
Nikki didn’t know what to say at first, silently she took Nick’s hand and he pulled her up into his arms, “I should warn you, I might step on your toes.”
“Then let me return the favor of you helping me and let me teach you how to dance.”, Nick smiled, as the music went on.
Minutes went by as they danced, Nick even went over and hit repeat so the same song would play again. The danced without saying anything, mostly because neither of them could fathom what was happening right then. I feel like I’ve known him forever in just a few days, Nikki thought, I wish I could find out what he was thinking.
Nick spoke up, “Nikki…I have to tell you something. I’ve been keeping it to myself, and I just have to tell you now.”
“What is it, Nick?”, Nikki asked, she looked down briefly to make sure she wasn’t stepping on his toes, even though he told her enough times that she was fine.
He stopped dancing, trying to catch her gaze, once he did he said, “I think I like you Nikki, you’ve helped me so much already and I’m very grateful for your kindness.” He took a piece of her hair and secured it behind her ear. As he did, he leaned in closer, slowly, he brought his lips to hers in a sweet kiss.
It was Nikki who broke the kiss first. “Nick…”
He almost immediately thought something wrong, “Did I do something wrong? I’m really sorry. I…”
Nikki interrupted, “It’s okay…Nick I like you too. A lot.”
The next day, Nikki was out running errands for her parents, as usual Nick was in her bedroom staying hidden. As he sat at Nikki’s desk reading one of her recommended books, a unfamiliar car came up the driveway, the driver was Nikki’s older brother, David. He came home for the weekend from college and couldn’t wait to see his baby sister again. He unlocked the front door with his key and ran in throwing his jacket onto the sofa and carefully walking quickly up the rickety stairs. He made his way up the other set of stairs and bursts into Nikki’s bedroom.
“Hey sis! I’m home!”, David said cheerfully, then his eyes landed on Nick. The smile on his face quickly faded. “Who the hell are you?”
Nick was speechless, he didn’t know what to say or what to do, “I…I…”
“Why are you in my sister’s room?”, David could feel the anger boiling inside of him. “Does she even know you’re here? What are you some ex that won’t let her go or something?”
“No, no”, Nick tried to defend himself but that was proving to be difficult. “I just…I’m a friend.”
“Funny that you’d be waiting in her bedroom for her if you’re only a friend.”, David brought out his cell phone and called his parents.
As Nikki parked her own car in front of her house, she had no idea what lay on the other side of the door for her. She carried the paper grocery bag in one arm and unlocked the door, walking in to meet her brother and her parents all waiting for her. Her brother was sitting on an armchair glaring at her. Her father had a look of pure anger on his face, his arms folded tightly against his chest. Her mother was looking at her with a mix of anger and worry, all of them seemed to be wait till she shut the door to speak. As soon as she did, that’s when it began.
“Young lady,” her father breathed, trying to yell, “How could you, of all things, have a boy in your room?”
Nikki froze on the spot, trying to drop the bag. She willed herself not to say anything for she knew she was caught she just stayed quiet and listened.
“You don’t know how disappointed I was when your brother called and told me he went up to see you and found him.”, her father continued, saying the word “him” as if it were a swear word. “How could you? You’re not like that, not like that at all.”
Still, Nikki stayed quiet, she had nothing to say. Then her mother spoke up, she sounded as if she were going to cry, “Did you buy anything else at the store dear? Anything you want to talk to me about?”
That got Nikki’s attention, She thinks I’m pregnant. She actually thinks I’d be sexually active right under their noses. No, no, never. She then spoke, “Mom, I’m not pregnant. No, I didn’t buy a test, I bought everything you said, nothing extra.”, she handed the bag to her mother, “Check if you like.”
Her mother took the bag, but never looked, she just looked like she were trying harder than ever to hold back tears. It was breaking Nikki’s heart, then her father spoke again.
“Nikki, go to your room. Don’t come out till we tell you to, your mother and I will talk and think about how long you are grounded. At this rate, till you go to college.”, he pointed to the stairs and Nikki walked past him, giving her brother the dirtiest look she could think of.
That night Nikki sat out on her little balcony outside her window, wrapped in a blanket because of the abnormal summer chill, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander, wishing none of this would’ve happened, she had not seen Nick when she returned to her room. She cursed David under her breath for coming home and just bursting into her room like that. He had to be the type of brother that loves to surprise you not the brother that calls first. She wished that Nick was here just so he could hold her and say everything was going to be alright, but he wasn’t…
“Nikki!”, she heard a loud whisper from below, it was Nick! He hurried to the ladder that was left out and climbed it, carefully sitting next to Nikki and kissing her forehead as he wrapped his arms around her. “I have to apologize…”, he began but Nikki stopped him.
“No, you don’t have to, it wasn’t your fault.”, she met Nick’s gaze and looked into his chocolate brown eyes, almost losing her train of thought, she continued, “It was David’s, my brother by the way, I should’ve known he’d come home for the weekend.” she leaned her head against Nick’s shoulder, sighing.
“You should feel lucky, you have a brother who cares about you, wants to protect you.”, he ran his fingers through her shoulder length chestnut-brown hair.
“Sometimes I feel like the opposite.”, she groaned, “He can be too protective at times.”
They were both quiet for a few moments, then Nick spoke up, “Nikki…I’m going home.”
She looked up, “But you said you can’t get home, how…?”
“I have to try this time, I miss my family, I have to know how they are.”, he said, holding Nikki closer as if she were light enough to float away like a balloon. “I know I’m just telling you this but…”
“But nothing!”, Nikki suddenly felt a surge of anger rush through her, “You can’t just kiss me one day and decide to leave the next!” She turned and slipped through the window, into her warm bedroom, Nick followed. She couldn’t believe this was happening, it was not happening, she shook her head and collapsed to her knees.
“I’m truly sorry Nikki.”, Nick knelt beside her and touched her back.
“No, I’m sorry.”, Nikki could feel the tears in her eyes, “I’m being selfish, I freaked out on you for no reason. Of course you need to go home and of course you need to see your family. Who am I to keep you away from your family?”
“Again I’m sorry…”, Nick started but Nikki interrupted.
“You don’t have to be sorry Nick”, she said, turning to him to meet his gaze. She touched his cheek, “Go, you need to see your family.”
Nick smiled, which Nikki returned, before getting to his feet Nick took Nikki in his arms and held her close, then he kissed her, a long, sweet goodbye kiss. Neither of them felt like saying anything. Everything that needed to be said, had been said, after releasing her lips, Nick slipped out the window and down the ladder. Nikki watched him still the darkness of the trees swallowed up his retreating figure.
Four years later.
Nikki unlocked her dorm room and walked in, setting her backpack and purse down and sat at her desk. She had just taken ten pages of notes in her art history class and she wanted to review and study them while the information was still fresh in her mind. She took out her notebook and opened it up.
She started her junior year of college only a few months ago, still in a mild depression of Nick leaving, she was able to comfort the aching hole in her chest by paying more attention to her education and ignoring the many sorority and fraternity parties being held almost every night. But, and she willed herself not to admit it, nothing could get her mind off of the only boy she had ever…loved. Other solid, respectable guys have asked her out plenty of times, but she always turned them down, afraid she’d be disrespecting Nick if she did.
She sat there, and forgot she also had flash cards she had made to help her study. She went over to her bed and reached into her backpack for her card. Just as she turned and looked up, a bright flash of light appeared.
the end.
