This is the story of the most beautiful woman in the world who was doomed to suffer the consequence of such a gift.
A Curse
Máire possessed a beauty that cannot be compared nor described. She had eyes the color of the rain, hair of the golden sunrise and skin of the finest porcelain. Her laughter rang of tiny silver church bells and her mere presence brought a kaleidoscope of colors upon the dry and dull earth. Her voice was that of heavenly beings and hers was the purest of heart and spirit. Butterflies followed her wherever she went and so did anyone who by any chance gazed upon her.
In spite of all these wondrous gifts, there’s only one thing she cannot possess: she cannot have Love.
The world may adore her or even obsess about her but none of them could give her the only thing she ever wanted—to be loved.
Silently she wept at the sight of a mother holding her child in her arms. She secretly grieved at the church when happy couples vowed to share eternity. She longingly looked at young girls giggling and prancing along the streets for young men’s attention.
Her perfection had blinded the world around her. She could walk the streets all day while creatures and people followed her around but none of them ever spoke nor touched her as if she was not of this world.
No one even knew where Máire came from. They only knew of her existence when one finest day the sun shone the brightest, the flowers of the fields were all a bloom, the seas were silent as a baby’s breath and every being was the happiest.
A Plea
In her usual twilight trek by the white sands of the dreary sea, a dark figure caught Máire's attention by the shore. It was a man and he was wounded and blind. For days she sheltered and took care of him. She loved him and the blind man loved her too. For the first time, Máire felt such happiness in her life that she vowed to give all she had for this man who truly loved her.
Everything would all have been perfect had it not been for this particular day when the man wished to see her even just for a glimpse. He wanted to etch her face in his mind that he may cherish her beauty forever. Máire wanted so much to do his bidding that she summoned the great spirit of the earth to hear her plea.
The butterflies that were following and fluttering around her turned into colorful dusts like fiery embers and formed into a vague figure of a woman. She surprisingly resembles her only with hair as dark as ebony and dark eyes as piercing as a dagger. The earth stood still as soon as she opened her mouth. She spoke with clarity and none was unheard, “Surrender yourself to me and you shall have what you want.” Though Máire could not comprehend what she meant the dark being carried on in her thunderous voice. “First, you must not reveal any of this to one soul… I can give you what you asked for if you promise to give yourself to me. I will restore this man’s sight so he may see your face but he can only have you for a day. When the sun meets your eyes in the horizon at the end of that day, you shall fulfill your vow or he shall never see light forever.”
Máire remembered her vow to give everything she had for this man’s happiness. Should she end her beloved’s suffering or hers? Would she rather have a day with the man she loved than not have love nor loved at all? She struggled to give her reply but like a helpless and obedient child she succumbed to this woman’s conditions—all for the sake of the man who truly loved her.
With one nod from her the woman vanished. Máire hurriedly asked who she was and like an echo from the distant mountains, she replied,
“I am thy creator and guardian… I am what you are… and you must return to me….”
A Moment's Bliss
Máire ran back as fast as she could for she could not bear a moment lost without her beloved. Upon reaching her house, she finds him sitting at her doorsteps, waiting for her. Immediately she ran towards him and kissed him. Inexplicable emotions filled both their hearts that tears began to fall from their faces and as soon as he opened his eyes, he could see every light, color and detail of everything around him and more importantly, he could see his beloved. He touched her beautiful face, memorized each line, gazed at her deep blue eyes and felt her golden hair. He was so mesmerized by her beauty that he forgot he was blind all this time. Máire, on the other hand, despite of the immeasurable happiness could not help but fear the day ahead of them. Not wanting to ruin the moment of joy, she held his hand and together they to went around the village.
The fated lovers went to all the places they both longed to see and be seen. They strolled along the streets, breezed through the lavender fields, and finally, they entered the church up on the hill and declared their undying devotion. All night they kissed and made passionate love as if the night would never end. He traced his palms upon her soft pale skin, ran his fingers along the lines of her serene face and kissed her endlessly. Máire was so happy that she wished for nothing more.
Come morning and the birds sang their sweetest songs completely unaware of the imminent. Wanting to serve his beloved as she always did for him, off he went to gather food. The man cherished every step, every sunray and gentle wind that touches his face only with thoughts of his beloved Máire. He would hasten back to her and spend the whole day discovering the beauty of this world. Finally, he asked her to take him where she found him. And so they walked along the strip of white sand by the shore where Máire found him.
“You gave me a new life,”
the man said as he gazed upon her azure eyes. “With you, I saw the world in a new light,” he continued. “I am most happy with you, my Love.” Máire could no longer contain her emotions—both painful sorrow and overwhelming joy that she fell to the glistening sand and bursted into tears. Why when at last she had found true love she had to part from him? At that very moment, Máire realized that she wanted nothing more of this world. She held her lover’s hand, looked into his eyes… “ I love you,” wholeheartedly, she whispered and then turned to the setting sun and faded with the light.