2047 AD.  One of the great things about being an immortal is that you didn’t have to go around with a security contingent everywhere you went.  That and the ability to conceal yourself meant you could turn up unannounced, and if you wanted, unnoticed at any venue.

Martin wanted to call up on an old acquaintance who was still mortal.  She had missed out on the chance to be immortal through… well actually Martin wasn’t quite sure why she had missed out.  He knew of other cases of those that seemed as they would have qualified to be transformed but didn’t.  The problem in those cases seemed to be a lack of genuine relationship with Jesus.  He didn’t know why Genevieve hadn’t made it though.  Her relationship seemed genuine and she had blessed him many times during his mortal past.

He stood outside her door and rang the bell.

Genevieve arrived at the door looking rather disheveled.  Martin had toned down his appearance to look as much like his mortal self as possible but she knew what had happened to him  – and hadn’t happened to her.

Genevieve’s husband shouted out from a room somewhere in the back of the house: “Who is it?”

“An old friend”, Genevieve called back.

“Tell him to go away.”  It seems Genevieve’s husband wasn’t the most sociable of people.

“Let’s go.” Genevieve grabbed Martin’s arm and went out to the car.  Martin was thinking that he didn’t need a car to go anywhere but he let it pass.  They got into her old Nissan Leaf (it was 30 years old) and drove to the nearest restaurant.

“What happened, Genevieve?” asked Martin getting straight to the point, “I remember when, even as a mortal, I could see you shining with the Holy Spirit.  You blessed me and everyone around you.”

“I didn’t want to leave him.”

Martin thought about that for a minute.  He could understand how that might be possible but he was surprised anyone could resist the loving tug that he had felt during the time leading up to his transformation.  He could have asked whether she thought it was worth it but her appearance and her husband’s response back at the house seemed to make the question redundant.  Martin decided to ask the question anyway.

“No.” Came the simple reply followed by a sigh.