Immortals: Slovakia

Nara

My name is Nara. I am an immortal. I have lived for more than 100,000 years, but I do not age. I do not get sick. I do not die. I have seen the changes and the constants, the miracles and the tragedies, the diversity and the extinction. I have witnessed the history and the mystery of humanity. But I do not belong to any of them. I am alone.

I was born in the Middle Paleolithic, when humans were still nomads, living in groups, following the seasons and the animals. I was born in a tent, near the Morava river, in what is now Slovakia. My parents named me Nara, which means "sun" in our language. They said I was a blessing from the sky, because I had a birthmark on my chest that looked like a sun.

I was a brave and adventurous child. I loved to hunt and to fish, to climb and to swim, to play and to laugh. I was happy. But I was also different. I noticed that I did not grow like the other children. I did not change like the other boys. I did not scar like the other men. I did not age like the other people. I stayed the same, while everyone else grew old and died.

At first, I thought it was a gift. I thought I was special, favored by the gods, meant for greatness. But soon, I realized it was a curse. I realized I was alone, rejected, hated. People started to fear me, to despise me, to attack me. They called me a freak, a devil, a beast. They tried to wound me, to drown me, to bury me. But they could not. Nothing could hurt me. Nothing could end me.

I had to leave. I had to run. I had to hide. I traveled the world, changing my name, changing my look, changing my story. I tried to adapt, to conform, to belong. But I always failed. I always stood out. I always drew attention. I always made enemies. I always had to escape.

I have lived in many places, in many times, in many cultures. I have seen the glory and the misery of humanity. I have loved and I have lost. I have learned and I have forgotten. I have created and I have destroyed. I have done good and I have done evil. I have lived and I have survived.

But I have never found peace. I have never found happiness. I have never found meaning. I have never found a home.

Now, I live in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is a modern city, full of life and energy. It is also close to where I was born, where it all started. I wonder if anyone remembers me, if anyone knows my story, if anyone cares.

I do not know why I am here, why I am still here, why I am immortal. I do not know what is my purpose, what is my destiny, what is my fate. I do not know if there is a reason, if there is a plan, if there is a hope.

I do not know if I will ever find out.

I do not know if I want to.