Goddess on Earth

In 2020, a rather different year from many prior ones, a goddess appeared on Earth. No one noticed her in midst of the pandemic, and she did not make herself known to anyone in particular, except for yours truly, the narrator of this short story, and even in my case it seems to have occurred accidentally, at least that is what I thought when I met her downstairs in the lobby of my abode’s building. This goddess, this enchantress, this beauty like no other, was not looking to be adored, prayed to, or celebrated. Crystal, a fitting name for a sparkling goddess, only wanted to be loved, and I was ready to love her from then to eternity, especially that M was in love with his muse, almost forgetting about me, his loyal narrator, though he sometimes had referred to me as the freaking narrator and even worse.

Crystal spoke to my heart through my mind. Her lips did not move when she uttered her words, yet I could hear her. It was surely the first sign and mythic attribute of a god or a goddess.

I love you, I said, after a few minutes, perhaps only one.

“I knew it before you existed,” Crystal replied in my mind.

I have no doubt since I barely feel my heart, and it started as soon as I saw you, my lovely goddess of love.

“I need to rest in your bed,” Crystal first implied and then declared in my head.

I hope that I survive having you in my bed, I whispered seriously and took her hand, leading her gently towards the elevator and my abode. Unlike M who lives on the seventh floor, I live on the ninth. I guess that I need more than one life.

Crystal took off her shoes and showed me her feet, so I could comprehend that she was perfect like any goddess who had ever existed. I wanted to kiss them but she would not let me yet.

“I want to wash first,” Crystal said, this time with her voice.

Oh my God! I thought. But she heard me and smiled.

“Yes, I also have a perfect voice,” Crystal said.

I am afraid for my life but I do not care. There is no better death.

“You will not die. I will keep you alive,” Crystal said.

I love you and that is all that matters to me from now till the end, I said and asked if I could prepare her a bath with peppermint extract, if she liked. It is something that I learned from M, I added.

“Your literary master who is in love with a muse.”

Yes, I confirmed.

“No need. I use my own herbs and salts to soothe my senses.”

I should have known. How hot do you want the water?

“Hot enough to feel the Sun from afar.”

I know what you mean, my goddess and my love.

“Goddess, yes! Love, not yet.”

Of course, my goddess. But I love you, nonetheless.

“Love me, you can. Calling me, your love, you still cannot.”

I see so much promise in your still cannot and not yet before.

“As you should, Jennifer. I will call you Jenny.”

The cat is out of the bag, Reader. M’s narrator is a woman. Did you expect a man? I also love irony. Please remember that this is my story, not M’s. He gave me some time off, mentioning that he did not want any distractions while he is being in love with his muse. Poor M is in love from his hair to his toes. I do not think that I have heard of a writer who loves his muse more than life itself. But he does. He means every word. He loves her to death, but she does not like it. She does not like the word death. I am sure that Crystal does not mind. While both muses and goddesses are immortal in some celestial sense, only a goddess can remember her past. A muse forgets her previous love as soon as she falls in love again, almost always following her prior love’s death.

Dear, goddess! Do you remember your past?

“I would not be here if I did not,” Crystal replied, scratching her head.

I prepared her bath, gave her all she needed, said I love you, and closed the door behind me.

“Your help is still required. I need you to take off my clothes,” Crystal called out.

I finally understood why M mentions his heart all the time. I felt my heart in my socks. Surely, my goddess, but you will have to keep me alive, I replied.

“Come in, silly Jenny! I like women too. I am a goddess, after all. I like both sexes. But like many women, I prefer women too. I have known a few special men, but they always lacked a certain je-ne-sais-quoi, except for one. He was the love of my life, but even I could not keep him alive. He died because he knew that he was going to die, and just the thought of not being with me at some point, killed him, and from that, even a goddess cannot bring back to life.”

I am sorry, my goddess, that you too need to suffer like us mortals. I know that your love is greater than ours, that your powers provide you with flexibility in most if not all matters.

“Do not worry about me, my dear Jenny. I never order love, and thus I ask you now, do you want to be my love?”

Oh my God. Yes! But would you not want to try me first in case I am not to your liking, after all?

“You forget, my dear Jenny, that I already know what you taste like. And I am sure that I can live with you for many years to come.”

Did you mean until I die? I blurted out.

“Yes, my dear Jenny.”

I can live with that. We have about a half century to make love. Do we begin in the tub?

“Wherever you wish, Jenny. I am all yours,” Crystal said out loud.

I never heard such beautiful words before in my entire life. I think that I finally understood M. But I never understood why he often compared his love to that of a bull. Unless he meant bullshit on account of his failure to be with her, his muse, once and for all.