What could one say about the wonders seen in Cairo. As jarring as the living conditions of some of the Egyptians was to see, it was just as marvelous to witness the treasures found in the desert outside. The museum was as run down and fragile as the mummies housed therin. Mohammed the guide told them, as he stood between two statues of Ramses II that the building was from 1901.
"I'll be lucky to look as good when I'm 120 years old" Denise whispered to Jackson.
"Inshallah" he replied, and they laughed.
He took trembling steps up to the glass monters containing Tutankhamun's funerary boxes with their gold paint and hieroglyphs. It is one thing to see all the artefacts in a book and yet something else to see them in person. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek as he stared at the gold mask of The Boy King.
Next, they traveled through the city and towards the pyramids. Like ancient gods of old they became visible between the modern structures. His heart skipped a beat as he saw them in the distance first, but then coming ever closer. They stood there on the plateau in defiance of all the modern masonry and litter. As if they were letting those who gazed upon them that the pharaos of old had placed them there for a reason and they would not move. Even if they had withered over time and lost some of their stones, they were still present in the world. They touched the ancient stone, sat on it, but avoided crawling through the tight corridors of the Cheops pyramid. All the artefacts had been removed from structure.
In quite solitude they stood before the mighty sphinx as it guarded the pyramid of Khafre. The Sphinx knows the answer, Jackson thought to himself. Unfortunately I don't know the question. This time it was Denise turn to cry and marvel at the wonder of what people accomplished thousands of years before.
He kissed her on her sunkissed cheek and spoke softly in her ear.
"I love you hon" he said.
"I know" she replied and winked at him, her blue eyes reflecting the mid day sun. "Thank you."
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