A Long Time from Home Ch. 15

"Fitting." She said with a smile. "How do you come up with those names?"

Shrugging slightly, I chuckled. "I don't really know. They just pop into my head when I'm with people that I really like."

"What about Cyra and Zena?"

"I don't have nick names for them."

Alice looked at me as if I had somehow insulted her kids, so I continued "Don't get me wrong, I like them a lot, but there's a sexual component in the names and... "

"Ohh." Alice interrupted, as she understood what I meant. "You only give names to those you find sexy."

"Right... like you." I said as I let my fingers wander on her bare leg underneath the table, causing her to shiver.

"Karen was right." She said with a sigh. "You really are an evil man." She glanced at the screen and looked like she got an idea. "Oh, do you happen to know any poems? I need one for the article."

Surprised by the sudden change in subject, I said, "Ehh, what kind of poem are we talking about?"

"I don't know, which is why I'm having trouble." Alice answered with a grin. "I'm trying to explain how it feels to have a vacation without TV... So, anything about games, storytelling or spending quality time with your family."

Looking at the ceiling, I thought for a while, searching my memory. Finding one that fit perfectly, I smiled, said "I have one about storytelling." and recited it.

Alice looked at me, laughing. "Since I'm not Rita, could I get that in English?"

I felt like slapping myself for being an idiot, translated it from Ancient Greek in my head and recited it again.

"Although they are only breath,

Words which I command

Are immortal."

"Not perfect, but usable." Said Alice slowly and typed it on her laptop "Who wrote it?"

"Sappho. She was a Greek poet."

"Cool. Do you know when she wrote it?"

"Not really, but it's ancient." I said truthfully and search my memory to find a year, but it was an era Rita and I haven't talked about, so I had to settle for an event instead. "It was written about the same time, as the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem."

"Okay, that's old." Alice said with a grin. "I'll look it up later, but now I have to write while I'm inspired... and thanks."

"No problem." I stood up. "Just remember to double-check it somewhere. I could remember wrong."

She had already turned back to the laptop as she said, "Will do."

Thoughtful I walked outside again. It had occurred to me, that one of the greatest problems I would have, was remembering something nobody else did. Especially around scholars or students, who almost certainly would check their sources and their 'techno-magic' made that a lot easier than it used to be.

However, there was no guarantee that what I said or quoted had survived the passage of time, leaving me with the problem of explaining where I had gotten that knowledge. So, either I needed to learn how to shut up or read so much that I could point out where I had the knowledge from.

This new age was turning out to be rather complicated to live in, with passports, ID papers and what not, I decided for myself as I took of the shirt and jumped into the pool.

The water was nice and cool, without being cold, so I spend some time floating around, while trying to come up with a story that sounded plausible, without being too easy to check.

In the end, I just gave up. The information I had gotten was good, but not nearly enough to come up with a good explanation for my past.

With a sigh, I rested my head against the edge of the pool and started to meditate. If nothing else, that might help on the jumble of thoughts running through my head.