The old man told me, once, the secret for undying life. I have never been interested in science, but I live peacefully. I have never liked my visage. I have parched hands from hard outdoor work, and my face had tiny wrinkles with spongy skin.

The farm looked fresh. The rain had just stopped, and the birds were beginning to sing. I felt calm, but empty. I can still hear the man’s voice lingering inside my head. He told me,” You look young. How old are you?”

“I am forty seven years old. Why do you ask?” I said immersed in curiosity covering my mouth gently with my left hand. He didn’t look very old. I guess he was approximately my age.
“I guess you live in this farm. Do you?” He told me as he leaned beside the fence.

“Yes, this is the only asset I possess. What are you doing here?” I began to feel mistrust just after the words began flowing out of this man. Why did he have such interest toward my belongings? My eyebrows frowned acutely. I liked my ordinary life. I wasn’t fond of great adventures. Perhaps, this was not one of those. At all times, I tried to evade all opportunities of change. That was the reason I lived in this tranquil place.

“I want to live with you, in this extraordinary place for a while. I fell in love with the orchard as soon as I saw it. I am willing to pay you a great sum. Set a monthly payment.” He said.

“I don’t want money. I can live with what I produce here. Thank you.” I said walking away. I knew there was no way of changing my mind. He shouted,” Come back. I have something you will want.”

There is certainly something that I can’t resist, curiosity. So, I ran back and he continued,” I can offer you perpetuity. I know the answer of such desires.”

His offer was deadly tempting. How could he prove me that he possessed that unique key? So, I asked him. His response was brief,” I have my birth certificate, but you must be willing to trust me. Or else it won’t happen.”

Time passed by, I ended trapped in a world of affliction. I didn’t have the secret. I think this choice has been one of my worst. He came to live with me. He sat all day eating, studying, and solving mathematical equations.

I began to get desperate. I decided to take drastic measures and try to prove his immortality by attacking him with a weapon. I woke up early. I went to town to buy it. My horse got crazy as I soon I sat in his back. When I lifted my head to see ahead; it got smashed with a huge branch. The last thing I remembered was deep, and whitish blue.

I opened my eyes. There he was. He had a potion in his hands. He looked at my eyes and heard him whisper,” I would have told you the secret, but you tried to kill me.” At that instant, he fell to the ground beside my bed. Those were the last words heard from the old man. He died of natural causes, we suppose. However, a three hundred and forty eight years old man should never die, logically. He was believed to live eternally with his young appearance. What a pity! Moreover, we still hope for the answer… The way to live forever.

I got up, and buried the corpse. Then, I entered my room and saw my horrible face. I wanted to cry. No tears flowed through my cheeks. This was an atrocious view. My nose was broken, and some of my facial muscles were exposed.

I felt my heart burn. I had a pressuring sensation in my chest that is provoked by extreme emotions. How could this be possible? It had to be a dream! It was no reverie. I had been cursed.

I hadn’t felt any pain in my face. I merely continued my life as if nothing had happened. Indeed, I lived perpetually. Decades passed by, and my hair is not white nor I am bald. Perhaps, I will die the day I murmur those same words to you. The same words he told me the day we died.

However, today, you are still reading my aged words, and I am still alive. Be careful, I may be near. Perhaps, I’ll be there with the answer you’ve been waiting for...