A Night At The Museum
A Night At The Museum
Something moved. I could have sworn that I saw something move from the periphery of my eyes but turning around to inspect it, nothing seemed to be out of place.
Nothing except the glass box that was at the entrance of the museum. That had not been there before, I’m pretty sure I would have noticed if it was there.
“Bryan!” I called out to the guy in his late 40s with whom I ran night shifts. When I had first taken up this job, I had been scared to run night shifts― a fear that was influenced by the movie “A Night at the Museum” where all the artifacts at the museum came alive at the stroke of 12― but Bryan had assured me that nothing of that sort had happened in the 15 years he had been working at the museum.
That had put my mind at rest, along with the fact that nothing eventful had happened in the past year of working here.
“What’s up?” he asked as he reached where I was standing.
“Was this here before?” I pointed at the glass box.
“No. It arrived this evening. It came late so it hasn’t been cataloged yet. They’ll do it in the morning”
“Oh, Okay”
“Yeah. Goodnight Arthur” he left to go watch the other end of the museum while I remained rooted to the spot. Something about that box just didn’t seem right and I was curious to know what it was so I moved closer until I was close enough to see what was inside.
And there in the box was an ornately carved stone tablet. It had intricate swirling patterns that seemed to be some kind of constellation that I had never before seen. I watched the small amethyst gemstones that were cut into it shimmer from the light reflection above. I was enthralled by how beautifully all the pieces came together, and even something inside of me kept telling me to look away I just couldn’t bring myself to.
The longer I looked, the more bright the shimmer of the amethyst stones seemed and soon enough the light from them was all I could see. I watched the colors swirl and arrange to form the face of a woman.
Her smile was blinding, she had the most perfect set of teeth I had ever seen. Her eyes shone with excitement and love, her skin seemed to be glowing like she had taken a bath in milk, and her brown hair flowed behind her most majestically.
Something about her looked very familiar, in fact, everything about her looked familiar, and when I saw her running after a kid in the park who looked a lot like me, I knew exactly who she was. She was my mother.
I couldn’t bear to look at her anymore or see the look of disappointment on her face when she remembered how I abandoned her and didn’t take care of her in the days leading up to her death. I had been away at college studying to become an architect and also working at the same time to ensure that I could meet the requirements to keep my scholarship. I had worked so hard that I forgot the reason for which I was working in the first place.
I willed my eyes to look away from the swirls that were dancing before my eyes but they wouldn’t move.
“Arthur” it was a whisper but I could not have missed her voice.
“Arthur” This time her voice was louder and she turned to look at me with a smile on her face. Her beauty brought tears to my eyes.
“Come” she stretched her hand toward me. I didn’t know whether to take it but she prompted me to and so I did. She led me to one of the park benches and we sat together for a while before she spoke.
“You used to like coming here a lot and I always loved to be here with you. My little Arthur, running around and breaking all the little girls’ hearts” She smiled so sweetly it brought more tears to my eyes. “I didn’t think I would see a day when you didn’t want to come to the park. I used to have to bribe you into not coming every day. But one day, you woke up and didn’t ask anymore and that was when I knew my little Arthur wasn’t little anymore”
“I’m sorry” was all I could utter.
“Nonsense. You shouldn’t apologize for growing up”
“I wanted to come home. I wanted to so much but I got too busy with school I abandoned you, I'm so sorry.”
“You didn't abandon me Arthur”, she lifted her left hand to my face, “Don't ever say you abandoned me. You went after your dreams and if you had to carry me along, I would have only slowed you down”
“But I was doing it for you. I wanted to give you a better life”
“There was nothing wrong with the life I was living, and no you didn't do it for me or at least you shouldn't have, because, at the end of it all, it's your life that matters.” We were both quiet for a moment.
“Is that why you abandoned your scholarship?” She asked.
“I just couldn't continue without you?”
“So you want to live the rest of your life working at a museum where a relic lulls you into dreams of your dead mother?” I didn't reply. “You can't do that, you can't give up your life because mine is over. You were always excited when you saw different structures, and you'd tell me you'd make structures like that when you grew up. You're grown up now Arthur.”
“I know”
“So when you get back, you're going to quit your job and return to complete that degree”
“So you're not mad at me?”
“For quitting college, yes, but nothing else.”
I felt relief and peace wash over me at her reply. I had been so hard on myself, telling myself that she must have been so disappointed in me. It was in my grief that I decided there was no point in completing my degree if she was no longer here. And at the time, it felt like the perfect punishment for leaving my mother all by herself.
I lunged forward to hug her but only caught air. She was gone, again. And I didn't get to say goodbye again. I curled into a ball on the park bench and cried my eyes out and it was the first time since she passed that I had allowed myself to mourn her.
I stayed there for what seemed like a long time, hoping she would come back but she didn't.
“Arthur”, I heard from a distance, I turned around hoping to see her, but there was nobody there.
“Arthur”, the voice was clearer this time and it wasn't her voice.
“Arthur”, it sounded like the manager's voice. I felt someone nudge my shoulders.
“Arthur”, I opened my eyes. I saw his shoes first and trailed my gaze as I sat up from my lying position to meet his eyes as he was squatting in front of me.
“What are you doing crying on the floor like a child when we're opening in 10 minutes?”
I touched my face and truly they were wet from tears. I stood to my feet and he followed suit. I looked behind me to find that the glass box with the relic was gone.
“There was a glass box here, where did it go?”
“There was a mix-up. It wasn't supposed to come here, why?”
“Nothing.”
“Well then get to work!” He shouted.
“I quit!” I shouted back and turned towards the entrance. I pushed the double doors open
and walked away feeling as free as a bird.