Chapter 1 - acquisition

Meeting Cassandra was easily the best thing that has ever happened to me. So far, at least. Although I’m unsure on how it could be topped. Two years ago she stopped my heart as I nearly knocked her over as I was heading to my class at university. A real life meet cute. She was a senior studying education while I, also a senior, was majoring in engineering. The campus was rather large so meeting her seemed improbable, but here we were.

Her olive skin, dimpled smile, and almond hazel eyes hypnotized me instantly. Her body was also to die for. A svelte waist paired with voluptuous hips and a generous chest. She was a Greek knock out. And I nearly knocked her over. I was not a mongoloid incapable of watching where I was going. She just distracted me with her beauty.

I apologized profusely, and she angelically laughed it off as no big deal. I didn’t want to miss an opportunity with her so I offered to buy her a cup of coffee as an offering of forgiveness. I noticed she glanced me over before agreeing. I’m no adonis, but I’m certainly built well enough and above average in the looks department. 5’ 10’’, 180 lbs, and enough gym visits have sculpted me an appealing figure.

From that moment on we became inseparable. Our personalities melded well together, with enough similar interests and beliefs to amplify our compatibility. It didn’t take long for us to become a couple. After graduation we soon moved into our apartment together as she found a job as a high school English teacher and I a job at my company dealing with local infrastructure systems. Life was perfect.

Flash forward to today. It’s been two years now that we’ve been together. Actually, more specifically, one year and three hundred sixtyfour days. Tomorrow is our anniversary and I’m as stressed as I could be. Tomorrow is our anniversary and I haven’t gotten her a gift. I forgot. I didn’t forget the anniversary. I’m good with dates like that. I’ve planned a lovely evening out to dinner, but completelty blanked on an idea for a gift. I didn’t know what to get her. She has exquisite taste but is not materialistic. She only buys for necessity rather than want. My mind races as I leave work to figure out to get her. Because of her frugality, and out of desparation, I settle on the age old cliche: jewelry. But, this can not be anything cookie cutter. I need it to be unique. It needs to be special.

I head to the mall with hope of having many options so I can find what I’m looking for. With no real idea on where to start, I begin at all the basic retail jewelers but amass no luck at any of them. Everything I looked out, while beautiful, was not unique enough for my Cassandra. At my wits end, I decide to give up and try another mall further away that may have alternative stores. However, as I head towards the exit of the mall, I see a shop that I’ve never noticed before. Definitely not a new addition due to the worn out look of it’s awning and facade, but from what I could see inside it may have what I’m looking for.

As I open the door, the accompanying bell signals my entrance as I notice I’m the only customer in here.

“Welcome to ‘Timeless Desires,’ how may I assist you today?”

I look over to the counter to see a matronly shopworker standing behind the desk.

“Hi, I’m in a bit of a bind and could really use your help. My two year anniversary is tomorrow and I haven’t gotten my girlfriend a gift yet. Everywhere else I’ve been doesn’t seem to have anything unique enough for her tastes and you’re honestly a last resort.”

“Well, well, not to worry dear. If you’re looking for different and beautiful then you’ve come to the right place. We have all types of things for you. Jewelry, clothing, pottery, scultputres, ceramics, you name it. This place here holds what most modern retailers won’t. We believe here at ‘Timeless Desires’ that letting your inhibitions go and indulging in what you truly want will unlock anyone’s inner beauty. So I tell you what. Look around for five or so minutes to feel out the place and then I’ll answer any questions you may have. Sound good, sweetie?”

“Perfect. Thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank me yet until we find exactly what you and your lady need. By the way I’m Helen, and you?”

“Name’s Mike. Let me look around for a bit.”

As I walked around the store I quickly began to feel like this was the right place. Everything seemed like an antique but modern at the same time. This was right up Cassie’s alley. Almost immediately is when I spotted it. Out of the corner of my eye, this beautiful amethyst crescent moon necklace. Perfect for her love of astronomy and unique gemstones. I found the one.

“So how’s it going Mike? Any luck?”

“Actually I just found it Helen. This necklace fits my girlfriends taste perfectly.”

“Ah, the Bacchus crescent. Excellent choice.”

“The Bacchus crecent?”

“That’s what it’s called yes. The myth is that the god Bacchus was enamored with a maiden named Amethyste. Amethyste did not recipricate the desires of Bacchus and reached out to the goddess Diana to help her remain chaste. As a result, Diana turned Amethyste into a white stone. Bacchus, in destress, poured wine over the stone as an offering, hence the purple color. So in a way you picked quite well as that necklace should help your girlfriend ward off any advances from other men.”

“Wow. I don’t know if your pulling my leg or not, but perfect. I’ll take it.”

I didn’t mean offense in my statment, but Helen’s sudden tonal change certainly reflected that.

“Oh, I most certainly am not. In fact, everything in here is connected mythically, spirtiually, or religiously to the gods of any number of the religions out there and at the very least to any of the number of man’s true desires in our world.”

Suddenly feeling a little creeped out by the atmosphere in here now, I decided it best for me to buy the necklace and be on my way. However, Helen wasn’t having that.

“You don’t believe me, do you? Don’t be scared I know how I sound. I also know what I believe. Trust me when I say that everything in here helps reaffirm core beliefs for those that need it or they can unlock hidden desires and truths that have been hidden deep below. Even underneath the subconscious.”

“Honestly Helen I do believe you. Even though I’m not a religious or spiritual person, that doesn’t mean I dismiss it for everyone else. I’ve always been inclined to keep an open mind.”

“That’s good of you to say, Mike. In fact, what I’m gonna do for you right now is something I rarely do. I own this shop and when possible I want to help out certain customers when I can. Pay for the necklace, please and thank you, but for you I want you to take any item here that calls to you free of charge.”

“What. I can’t do that.”

“Yes you can Mike. Like I said I’m the owner and this isn’t the first time I’ve done this. So I’ll say it again. Walk around and really look at everything I have to offer. Whichever item speaks to you the most; take. Free of charge. No strings attached. Just be honest about it to yourself.”

“You have some jewelry and sculptures here priced in the thousands. Are you sure? This is crazy.”

“If one of those items truly and honestly speaks to you then, yes, take it. I only ask you be honest with yourself. Deep in your soul. Your gut instinct. Go ahead, look around.”

“Alright Helen. This is weird. But, if you insist.”

I started looking over the store again to see if something spoke to me. Even though my mind was telling how ridiculous this was I did genuinely give it a go. For Helen’s sake, I guess. Perhap’s even a bit for me if I’m being honest.

I quickly perused the clothing and jewelry and unsurpisingly found nothing. There were some neat old looking books and novels that I’d never heard of but, although interesting, didn’t call out to me. None of the pottery interested me either. Most of the scultpures were beautiful. Ancient Roman and Greek for sure, but nothing triggered my gut. I was about done with no success when I looked towards the back of the store to a dust ridden bookcase containing countless figurines. I looked past this earlier when shopping for Cass, but now something was calling me over.

The shelves of this bookcase were filled with dozens of tiny figurines of various design. Some were jade, some marble, even clay to various metals. They were all no bigger than six inches tall or wide. As I picked them up one by one, I gazed upon different animals, gods, goddesses, the busts of the female figure and male heads. I kept picking the up and down quickly as I looked through them until, suddenly, a spark. Literally.

“Ouch!”

“Are you alright Mike?”

“Ha ha, yeah just some static shock. I’m gurssing from the dust back here.”

“Interesting. Which figure were you holding when that happened.”

“I’m still holding it. It’s this one.”

I lift it up and hold it towards Helen. As I do I take further stock of what it actually is. In my hand is a marble depiction of a headless body of a rather rotund man. Sitting cross legged, hands on knees, his rather large belly spilled out onto his lap and large breasts resting comfotably onto his gut. In this moment, something stirred within me. This was what I needed to choose. I don’t know why. His body was grotesque to look at. That obese body was not something to be gazed upon but, for whatever reason, I knew this was the item Helen was talking about.

“Is this a Buddha statue?”

“Not exactly Mike. This is actually one of my lesser known items. Since it’s made of marble it most likely originated from the Greeks or Romans. But what I do about it, given the subject of the creation, is that it’s the celebration of human pleasure and desire. In those cultures, Hedone and Voluptas were the goddesses that personifed these things, but for whatever reason, this figurine is of a man. Is this the one that speaks to you, Mike?”

“Well it did shock me so I guess yes it is.”

“No guessing here, Mike. Is THIS the item you wish to take. The one that you sould connects with and your gut is feeling?”

“Well my gut is certainly no match for this guy’s right here, but honestly yes. After looking over everything I do have to say that this non Buddha man is what I choose. Why” Is there something wrong with this choice Helen?”

“No, no, no, not at all Mike. There is no wrong choice. Know that okay. If you connect with this bust, it is yours.”

“Well, alright Helen. I’m gonna take it then.”

“Perfect. Let me ring you up for your girlfriends gift and then you’ll be well on your way.”

“Excellent. Thank you for all your help today Helen.”

“Of course. Anytime you need to find your ‘Timeless Desires,’ you’ll know where to find me.”

And with that I was out the door and on my way home in hand with Cassandra’s necklace and a mini statue of a rather obese man.

“Definitely not what I pictured leaving the mall with,” I thought as I laughed to myself.

I didn’t even even know what I was gonna do with it.

“Oh I know.” I thought to myself. “It’ll be the perfect paperweight for my home office desk. Or I’ll just stick it in the back of my closet if Cassandra is grossed out by it.”


Little did I know that forgetting about it would be the last possible thing I would do.