Prologue
Get with the times.
The nurse was so honest that it hurt. It made me think of when I was younger, much younger than what people my age considered young. Why did they want to go back 10-20 years, my happiest time was when I was still ignorant of what real pain felt like. The pain I felt when I lost my most important people was horrible, the anger I felt inside of me was rising in my body that it felt my head would explode. Then I felt another pain, years later from that time and this time it was different. If I could describe it then it felt as if a hole had opened up inside of me and all my good emotions were drawn inside of it, the reason was insignificant for most people but not to being able to ride a bike any more and the constant pain when I exerted my body a tiny bit too much was unbearable.
A month ago I had gotten a new nurse, young and attractive but not the bimbo kind. She has long black hair just like 'her', from behind she reminds me of 'her' and that's not mentioning her hips. I swear they are just perfect for my imagination. I might be a bit old but I can still stand up.
Henkel is a man of 53, tall and thin to normal build. Grey hair isn't unusual but it has invaded his moustache and it looks more like he was grey haired and just grew some black hair, a kind of reverse ageing. He was walking out of the hospital after a routine check-up, it has been a routine because he had developed severe arthritis and had been given new drugs to ease his pain.
He was dressed in a casual black suit, no tie and chequered shirt and leaning on a cane in his left hand. As he got in to the taxi that was waiting for him he thought back at what Christine the nurse had told him. You'd think he would care more that the doctor told him the drugs were not as effective as he would have wanted them to be but no, Christine had just told him about a new gaming console that had just been released a few days earlier. She said it was called Imperial Road or something like that a game with 99% realism. She said her brother had pre-ordered the device a month earlier and that she might also play it if she likes it.
Henkel exited the taxi in front of a high-end low apartment complex with large iron gates with high fences around. It looked more like a modern mansion than anything else, there were only 4 floors but it was as big as 4 football fields. Each floor had it's own pool indoors with moving walls and ceiling and a garden big enough to build a house on. The area receded the higher up you went with the 3rd floor being the cheapest then the 2nd and the fourth and first floors cost the same but they had completely different plans. While the first floor had a larger area including the garden the top floor had glass walls and ceilings which could be covered with the flick of a button.
Incredibly luxurious place to live in. Only certain people may live in these complexes and Henkel happened to be one of them. In his younger days he used to travel the world and it was during these travels that he received the qualifications to live here. It is a very normal story of how he met one of the most influential people in the world in his 30's and it all started when his customised bicycle broke down in the middle of the desert. It wasn't any desert though, it was the Gobi desert one of the most unforgiving places in the world. What was he doing there? An important event had just taken place a few months prior to the incident which made him quit his job and travel the world, a common story. Fate had something else in store for him and he didn't die that day. Just when his water was all devoured he met a truck which took him on.
“Xiéxie. Thank you! If not for you I might have died out here.”
“No preblem. I going to job now.”
It was a small man in his 70s of Chinese descent and he had a big smile on his face which revealed many missing teeth and those that were there were discoloured.
“Why you here?”
“I'm travelling round the world with my bicycle because there is nothing waiting for me back home.”
“Sad. I hear from Australia they call it Walkabout.”
“Yes that is correct.”
“How far are we going to your job?”
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“Three hours south east.”
“South east? I thought the nearest town was north east from here?”
“Not going to city. Job in desert.”
And so they spoke about themselves and chatted away, after 2 and a half hours silence fell in the small cabin. Miyoonh, the drivers name had just driven off the road into unknown territory. He took out a GPS from under his seat. It was funny, he had just taken out a brand new GPS probably worth more than 2 of these trucks put together but looking at him you couldn't tell he was rich. His employer must be though.
The truck was slowing down and many tents sprung up in the horizon. As they got closer Henkel realised it was an excavation going on, which meant Miyoonh probably had archaeological equipment in the back. The truck had finally stopped but Miyoonh didn't say anything and didn't exit the cabin, from the closest tent 5 heavily armed men rushed out and surrounded the truck pointing machine guns at them. Henkel looked at his new friend and he had an apologetic look on his face, he took the GPS and fiddled with it for a while and when he was done it made a loud beep. The armed guards put away their guns and went back into the tent then form another tent some men and women in work clothes approached us and we left the cabin.
“Miyoonh good to see you! You are late by half an hour, we started to get worried so the boss thought it was better if the soldiers greeted you first.”
“I meet friend in need on my way”
“We can see that. Would this new friend maybe introduce himself? But first let's eat, the food is getting cold and we'll talk about it at the table. It's whole roasted hog with deep fried lizards. To celebrate a new discovery!”
The food was delicious, the lizards were like a cross between chicken and French fries. Henkel told them about himself a bit and got to know that a secret excavation was under-way which explained the soldiers. They didn't say what they were trying to find just that they were searching for religious remnants. They mentioned that the supervisor they call “The Boss” normally ate when he felt like and that he was too absorbed in looking at what they had found.
A few days had passed since Henkel came here and he had grown accustomed the the people working here and had even begun to help them shovelling dirt and other small jobs. Then on the fifth day he met “The Boss”. It was a hardy 40 year old woman, tall and dark brown from all the accumulated tans. She had a loud character and it was a miracle Henkel hadn't heard her loud voice prior to this encounter. Her name was Camellia and she had been an archaeologist since she was 13 and she had been all over the world. A wonderful person. And generous. Everything was paid by her and even hired workers got a similar pay as her own personal team.
Henkel spent 3 years with her on various excavations and they encountered many dangers and mysteries on their travels. And sand. A lot of sand.
Now some 20 years later Henkel lived for free in this apartment complex thanks to his time spent with Camellia, though they don't meet regularly any more he still considers them to be best friends.
When he got home that day there was a letter stuck to his front door on the fourth floor.
“I wonder what it could be”
There was nothing on the envelope except a tiny text saying 'Dear friend' on the back of the envelope. Only three lines were written on the letter.
“Dear Henkel, it's regrettable that we have not been able to see each other these days.”
“I have remedied this situation and I hope you will partake in what has become my last adventure.”
“Yours truly Camilla.”
It felt as if a tear was about to flow down my cheek. Yes Camilla is the last living true friend I have left in the world. She still loved to send hand written messages, even if they only contained a few words.
Henkel entered his home and went to get something to eat as he sat on the patio. He went to his room to change into more comfortable clothes and after opening the door there stood a giant machine with what looked like a bed and helmet.
“What in the world...?”