Young Again

Chapter 3

Don't you miss having someone to love?" "It's not the same when there's no growing old together. Without that love is just heartbreak." - Age of Adaline, in theaters April 24

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Kansas City, Missouri 1947

T H E R A P E U T I C was the only word to describe that night. People often underestimated the power of speaking, myself included but after talking to Emily, I never did again. I started from the beginning as requested with just enough detail of my earlier life to satisfy Emily's curiosity. Then, just as I was about to retell the events of how I came to be, I paused realizing the piercing gap in my timeline.

"Lincoln?" Amelia said nudging me a little.

"I don't remember?" I murmured and turned to her as if she held my answer. "I don't quite remember what happened."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

I licked my lips apprehensively. "My father is very fond of fishing and often brings me along for impromptu expeditions. That day - my last day, we went..." I trailed off narrowing my eyes. "And I fell."

"You fell?" she echoed quietly.

"Overboard," I continued. "And when I woke up, I was on San Diego beach in the year 1944. Anything between...I just - nothing."

We delved into silence and for once, my thoughts weren't occupied with what Amelia was thinking of, instead I was struggling with the time gap. My mind honestly strained itself struggling to accept the words that had just left my lips.

"And then what happened?" Emily pressed minutes later.

"And then Frank found me and brought me here," I continued. "The first few years, I didn't really - I mean - when something like that happens to you, human nature acts to repress and so I did. I refused to think about it and when asked about anything regarding my family or whatnot, I changed the subject. After four attempts, Frank gave up and left me alone." I managed a smile as I recalled his efforts in trying to extract even a few tiny details of my youth.

"You never told him?" Emily asked.

I shook my head. "Not sober," I answered. "But when I've had a couple and Frank a ton more, I'll allow a few words to trickle out but he never remembers."

"I see," she murmured. "And ever since then you've been working in Fairchild's factory?" she asked.

"Correct," I murmured. "No one, not even I noticed anything in the first few years," I explained. "But...I mean, I started to see everyone physically age around me may it be from the strain of this type of work or from immense fatigue. I failed to feel anything, I didn't feel myself grow any older but I knew I was mentally. When things began to not match up anymore, I knew something was wrong."

Again, we settled into silence, neither of us quite knowing what to say anymore. She knew my secret now and though speaking about it was utterly liberating, I could not ignore the inkling of doubt. If Emily were to tell anyone, defending myself would not be too hard since my life story was absolute ludicrous. However, it would not take long for me to pack up and leave to the next destination.

We were quite close to her street when she spied another bench and fastened her steps towards it. I mirrored her and took a seat. The lack of cars that now passed pushed me to glance at my watch and after registering just how late it was, cussed myself for the trouble I would be in with Amelia's driver again and father.