Something About Ed's Wife, Part Ii

We though she was just feeling alone, and we wanted to be there for our friend, but what happened when we stepped inside shocked both me and my wife to no end. The wrinkles faded away from Di’s face, hair turned from gray to its old honey-blonde, the weight seemed to vanish, her breasts firmed up, and the stoop in her back soon was gone! She once again looked in her twenties, confusion quickly wracked my poor brain, she said,”That was a glamour, to stay hidden, if you sit down I will try to explain…” We went to the couch, too stunned to react, she said,”You both know my nickname is ‘Di,’ but I’m not ‘Diana,’ I’m Aphro-di-te, for five thousand years I have been alive.” My wife remained too shocked to speak up, but I croaked out,”You mean like the Goddess?” She nodded sadly,”That’s what they called me, back when I thought this power was a great gift. “But now I think whoever’s in charge doomed all of my family with a curse, Ed was the latest in many husbands, he was my five hundred and fifty-first.” Suddenly everything made sense to me, what I’d felt but could not vocalize, how a first-time mother knew all the tricks, how she was smarter than any man alive. But she just sighed,”You every day folk seem to think living forever is great, but having to watch those that you live die, might be the worst of possible fates. “And for a woman who lives I like I do there can be no relief or way out, hard as I try, I keep falling in love, and keep coming to where I am now. “You’ve been such good friends, so I have to ask to watch over my grandkids for me, and my daughter, not even she knows, I made Ed swear to complete secrecy. “Tell them I was lost, drowned deep in grief, that I wandered off, didn’t come home, sticking around would just make things hard, it’s better now if I go off, alone.” She picked up two bags she’d already packed, stopped at the front door, still looking pained, said,”The worst of it is, since I cannot die, I’ll never get to see him again.” She went to her car, quickly drove away, we never did see our friend anymore, in the years since my wife also passed, and it seems I am knocking on death’s door. I don’t even know why I write this all down, those who read it will just have a big laugh at this old man and his wild musings, but I must tell it in spite of all that. And if any who read are the praying type I asked you to please space a few words, for that woman still out there, forever cursed to be trapped here upon this cold world.