Eva’s mansion, Sintra – 1:00 AM
Eva wiped her tearful eyes with an embroidery handkerchief she kept as a token of her old age. Watching Mila and Alexander, wounded and broken in more ways than one, overfilled her heart with love, regret, compassion, and even pride.
“Love born in adversity and proven through fire—quite literally,” sighed Kei, giving Eva a side hug. He remembered Eva comforting him when he was a child. She cared for him as if she was his own mother. Years hadn’t passed for her as they had for him. He was about to welcome his middle age while she was still in her late thirties.
“I know what I’m supposed to do with this gift of mine.” Eva offered Kei a mischievous smile for what she was about to do. “Let’s see if it works, shall we?”
Kei and Ruben moved closer to her although neither one understood what she was about to do.
“My beloved ones,” said Eva, sounding every bit of her ninety years.
Mila lifted up her bruised gaze and acknowledged Eva’s presence for the first time. She inspected the vaguely familiar room and gazed at the people gathering around; she recognized everyone immediately, but the lady who seemed to be a decade older than herself, took her a second longer. “Grandmother?”
“I know, Mila. I still look like the last time you saw me here. You were only thirteen. Please forgive me for not going to see you in Israel or in Peru; I didn’t know how to explain my appearance to you and Flora. Although I’m quite certain she knew about these strange gifts some of us got,”
Mila held Eva’s hand, both resembling each other. Two sisters with a ten year gap, people would think. “You were the loveliest woman I had ever seen—intelligent, cultured, kind… and I’m glad to see that you still are!”
“Thank you, Mila, my girl!” Eva sighed, every year of her existence pressing her chest. “I followed you and Flora as you know, wishing you both were here. I was as involved as I could, helping from a distance. Living, working, and directing from inside these walls or showing up as a young representative of old Mrs. Eva Bosco with the power to sign documents, make investments, sponsor causes.”
“Why?”
“Mila, I’m ninety years old. I was married twice. I saw them age as is normal and pass away before me, as my David, your father, did. I was present at Flora’s burial, from a distance. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to comfort you, to be by your side in the darkest of your days. I cowered behind the gift that could scare you more than help you at that moment.” Eva blushed, feeling contrite and embarrassed. “One would expect that someone given the opportunity to grow wiser with time, wouldn’t have such a regretful mistake. She sighed, patting Mila’s hand. “Kei has always kept me informed. You know, he is the second son the Highest gave me. I’m grateful for him and his respect for my decisions. So, I hid in the house with my plants like I learned from my mother, and my companions.” Eva turned to the door and called to the obedient white shepherd and the tabby cat waiting to be invited in. “Come Luna and Bells.”
“I remember you always loved animals.” Mila said, caressing their soft fur. “I loved spending time with you, learning about life, walking to the markets, or sitting on the terrace, gazing at the mountains and sea.” Mila said in a non-judgmental tone. Too much had happened in their lives to foster an unforgiving and proud heart. She remembered their walks in town. Eva wore timeless, elegant clothing, and large hats and sunglasses—to be unrecognizable, no doubt. “I respect the way you lived your life. I know what it’s like to have gifts that separate you. I have two, but you must already know, right?” Mila glanced at Kei and Alexander. “One moves me through Time. When I was unconscious, I was moved to a time and place I had never been or seen. I met my parents and Tzofia in a beautiful garden. Well, I’ll save the details for later, but Tzofia told me to tell you how proud of you she is. In her words: what a great leader in the army of light you have become.”
Eva sighed, old tears escaped, wetting her face. “There is so much we don’t understand yet about gifts, life, time. I’ve been trying to understand my gift, using youth’s strength and old age’s wisdom to do what I could to help. I discovered that I could absorb the affliction of a living thing and transfer my health to it. I’ve tried it with dying plants, my pets’ injuries, my late husband’s degenerative illness, until I understood that I had to let all of them go. Death is part of life, and as you just shared, dying might be a transition to a different kind of life in another sphere of time.” Eva moved closer to Mila and Alexander, looking intently into their wounded eyes. “Could I hold your hands?”
Docilely, both obeyed and gave their hands to the exquisite woman who was watching them with great tenderness. Eva squeezed their hands tightly, preventing them from pulling away.
Kei and Ruben stood behind Eva so she wouldn’t fall, finally understanding what she was about to do and the change her body would experience.
“Stop, grandmother! It would be too much for you! Kei, stop her!” Mila cried, also aware of her grandmother’s intentions. She tried to let go of Eva’s hand without being disrespectful, but her grip was stronger than expected.
“I can’t, Mila. Eva is attempting to give you and Alexander a chance to start over, live your lives as normal as possible. She has experienced the loneliness of being different and having to hide from people’s curious eyes,” Kei answered, supporting Eva’s back. The physical healing had begun.
“Don’t, Eva, please!” Alexander asked, tugging his hand from her grip.
“I am old and I have grown accustomed to living within these walls,” answered Eva, absorbing their infirmities and wounds and carrying them in her body.
“Nonna, stop! It’s enough. Our love is genuine as you can see.”
“My child, the Highest’s heart and love is beyond our comprehension. He has given me this gift, which long ago I considered to be superfluous, and even a curse… I wished I had my mother’s gift, not understanding the uniqueness of our journeys in life, and the instances in which our gifts could make a difference in the lives of those in need. I’ve done that for a lifetime with the material gifts I was blessed to get.” Eva didn’t let go of their hands and never stopped exercising her gift on them. “All this to say that, I believe this is what the Highest trusts me to do for you right now.”
“Then I want someone else to take my place, would you accept that?” Mila said, turning to Ifat, the sister life had given her. “Ifat, would you take my place?”
“I’ll bare my melted flesh as you will your scars.” Ifat shook her head. “No!”
“Please, Ifat, come forward and join them. Let me give the three of you the gift of a new beginning. In this difficult life, you will have enough work to do after all the pain, loss, and violence you’ve endured. The soul remembers everything. It isn’t just the visible wounds and aches of the body that remind us of what happened. Now, I can take care of the noticeable signs of a battered life; but it is you, with the Highest’s care and guidance, who will have to take care of the invisible ones…for those are the most lethal.”
There were three deformed by the savagery they had experienced and one of angelical beauty and youth; they held hands.
“Cheer up my children, it’s good to accept a gift gratefully. If I should stay longer on this earth, my body will eventually regenerate by my ability. But if my time has come, I am glad to embrace the Highest’s will,” said Eva, willing her gift, absorbing and transferring her health. Luna and Bells whimpered, sensing that something was happening to their friend. Eva whispered soothing words to them, making the shepherd lay down at her feet. The cat paced around her a bit longer, butting his head and rubbing against her leg before settling with the dog.
Mila, Alexander, and Ifat bowed their heads as a sign of respect, humility, and acceptance. New skin replaced melted flesh as Eva continued transferring her vitality and youth to them. Alexander stood up as if an invisible hand was pulling him out of the chair. When the three opened their tearful eyes, they met with an unrecognizable weak and crippled lady who carried their infirmities in her entire body.
Kei and Ruben, who had been supporting Eva, helped her sit in Alexander’s wheelchair.
“It is over, my children!” Eva sighed. Bells, the cat, jumped on her lap, stretching to look into her eyes. “I’ll be alright, Bells.” She caressed both her pets to comfort them.
Everyone faced Eva as if admiring a painting: A Woman’s Love, oil on canvas. Eva had become the singular universal image of a woman’s love sacrifice.
Alexander, handsome and tall as he was before the fire, kneeled and kissed the melted skin on Eva’s hand. Mila embraced her grandmother’s fragile body as gently as possible, unable to utter a word.
“Love and courage runs in the family, my dear!” Eva said, “Now, get to work all of you, there are people to save!”