Fountain of Youth (Fruk)

2

The day came for us to visit the park he wanted to go to badly. He had been talking about it the whole drive. He was looking at the small magazine clip, and I walked beside him. He walked slowly, so I only took a few steps as he tried to walk faster. I always tried to reassure him there was no need to rush; I didn't mind walking beside him.

We arrived late in the day, so it would not be so hot. "Why exactly did you want to come?" I asked. "Well, I heard about this fountain they recently dug up and restored. They are putting it out for display, and I absolutely wanted to see it," he laughed. I smiled at his answer, and he held my hand.

It was a lovely day out today, which made me happy. I wouldn't want the day to be ruined by the rain. I know it has been raining lately. "What else have you been thinking of doing?" I asked. He continued to stroll, and I smiled at him. "No clue, but I might be getting too old for these walks...might need to take a break," he laughed.

Although he laughed, I didn't.

I was worried about what that might mean.

"It's okay if you need a break...we can find plenty of things to do at home..." I spoke. I could see him smile, and I still held his hand tightly.

Walking down the path, I saw many young couples, children playing, and people laughing together. I smiled at them and wished I and my love could be young again. For a day! It would be amazing!

We could go on bike rides, swim, run, and do the things we used to do when we were younger. It was an odd thought to think about. We still had this youthful attitude, but the only thing that's changed has been the difficulty of doing the youthful activities we used to do.

What I would give to hold our two sons in my arms like when they were children. It made me happy to think about it, but it wasn't possible anymore. Maybe in our next life, Arthur and I will be together, and we can enjoy those things together again.

We continued walking, and Arthur began to pull me in a direction. "It is this way, darling," he spoke. I nodded at him, and we followed the path many people began walking down.

"Here we are..." he spoke. I looked past all the people and saw this vast, beautiful-looking fountain. "Wow," I said. "Amazing, right?" He laughed. My eyes widened as I looked at the detail.

The fountain had details carved into it, such as people, angels, and flowers. The fountain had three massive tiers that sprayed water out. The water looked like this beautiful vibrant color, and it really had me standing in awe. "Wow, it is...what do those words say?" I asked. I pointed past the people, and he squinted his eyes, trying to look.

"Let's get closer," he spoke. I nodded and gestured for him to take my arm, which he did happily. Our arms entangled with each other, and I used my other hand to rub his as we walked closer.

People would move out of the way as they saw the two of us try to get through the small crowd. "The perks of being old...people finally move out of your way," Arthur laughed. I chuckled at his way of thinking, and we both sat on the fountain's edge.

"Ah, this is nice...ready to eat lunch?" I asked. I showed him the bag I had been carrying, and he nodded happily. "Absolutely! I'm starving," he laughed. I smiled at him and slowly took stuff out of my bag.

"Oh, it says something here! That's why we came this close; it's French...darling, read it," Arthur laughed. He began to point to some scripture carved into the fountain, and I began to look at it. I handed him his food and went closer.

"It says...La vie n'est pas une montée perpétuelle vers la grandeur. Pour notre famille, nous-mêmes et nos amis, Ce n'est que triste Decay, alors, Que chaque fille meure après son Hebé,Et chaque homme après son Aristeia.......which means Life is Not a perpetual climb towards Greatness. For our family, ourselves, and friends, It is but sad Decay, so, Let every girl die after her Hebé, And every man after his Aristeia...whatever that means," I laughed.

He lifted an eyebrow, taking a bite from his sandwich. "That's odd...the name Hebé...it sounds familiar, doesn't it?" He asked. I shrugged at him unknowingly. I had never heard that name before. "Maybe I'm going mad," he laughed.

"Ah, I thought you went Mad long ago," I laughed. He nudged me softly and shook his head. "Because I decided somewhere down the line that it would be a bright idea to marry you," he laughed. I smiled at what he said, shrugging. "Oh, so you wish we didn't marry?" I asked in a joking way. "Ah...sometimes," he laughed.

I smiled at him and gestured for him to drink something. "It was a long walk; you need to drink water," I spoke. He nodded at me and took the water bottle. "You too! Don't forget to drink something; I swear, it is like you have dementia sometimes," he spoke. He was always bossing me around and still scolding me like a child.

"Alright, I'll do it, but you have to go easy on me, Arthur," I laughed. "Ah, you lost that privilege twenty years ago," he added. I laughed at what he said and began to drink the water like he wanted me to. I watched and made sure he drank his too. Between the two of us, he was the more forgetful one, so I always reminded him when to do things, yet he always thought that was him reminding himself.

Honestly, he is hopeless without me...but I like that he can rely on me. He is my husband, after all.