The Oracular Servant

Part XIV: Sibyl

I was returning from a speech made in the square by President Pellegrini. He had done wonders for the community I now called my home. He'd created the Banco de la Nación Argentina*. I had met many people in my long life. You can imagine how long it was, because, as you can see, I am still around. I hope you weren't too surprised.

Argentina was lovely in the winter. The chilling nights but hot days reminded me of home. Wherever that was now. I had lived so long through history. It seemed like too much for me to handle sometimes. But I got through, thankfully.

I was walking up the steps to my apartment in the town, I was going up the stairs to my room, when it opened to the face of Señora Perez. She was holding tightly to her daughter's hand.

"Oh! Excuse me, Señora Romano. I didn't see you there."

"That's alright! How are you, little Lucia?" I asked her as a leaned down. She reached to grab my nose, but I moved quickly away, laughing. "Any mail, Señora?"

"¿Por tú? Si, it is in front of your door."

"Gracias," I said as I closed the door behind me. She waved back. They went quickly down the steps, with the little girl dragging her mom along with her.

I chuckled quietly to myself as I walked the stairs to my room. There was the mail, sitting on the mat saying "Welcome" in Spanish. I unlocked the door, and as I was walking to the kitchen table, looking through the mail. It was bill after bill, electric, water, heat; it was all in there. The last thing was a letter. It said Aurore Bonheur, with the address being in France. I ripped open the envelope and began to read the crumple letter.

Dear Sibyl,

I have been meaning to write this letter for a long time. I have not heard from you in so long, but then news reaches here about a old woman, who seems to have never left a town in Argentina. You could never stay out of the limelight, could you? I am well, I made it out alive, or else I wouldn't be writing to you. I have not changed a bit, but I guess that's to be expected. I have made it well on my own, I run a boarding house in France to earn money. My only problem in life are two boarders, who can never seem to pay for their room. Still, they convinced me to write this letter. I have thought about you for my whole life, I doubt I will ever forget you. I plan on staying in France for a long time, please write me back. I hope you can forgive me for leaving you all those years ago. You are my only true friend.

Eternally Yours,

Aurelia

I pressed the letter to my lips. I finally had my answer. She had survived the fall, my dearest friend. Tears sprang to my eyes, as I sat down at the table. I was thrown back to my former life in Rome, going from Rome to Spain, and onward to South America. I had so many questions for Aurelia, and there was only one way to get answers. I got up and searched the drawers of a cabinet for paper. I sat back down and reached for the pen on the table. I began to write, a letter of remembrance for a past life.

*Argentine National Bank