If two lovers were cursed to turn their backs on each other forever, by sheer determination, they'd each have to endeavour half of 40,075 kilometres around the earth to see each other face to face.
And if Hou Yi was to join the Apollo missions, he would have travelled 406,700 kilometres to the moon to see Chang 'e.
I like the fact that the greatest distance we know are measured in light years; one light year is equivalent to approximately 10 trillion kilometres. I like it because 'years' reminds me that even though the standard unit of length may be in metres, distance is actually more relevant to us if measured in time.
Assume that the two cursed lovers had no other vehicles but to run across the globe. If they were given superhuman stamina (ie. they need no rest) and ran like an average marathon runner, the man would take 89.5 days to run half the earth's circumference, while the woman would take 102.7 days. If they each had a car and drove an average of 100 km/h, with no rest, they'd only take 8.5 days to meet midpoint on the other side of earth.
Hence, it is more relevant to say that their distance was 8.5 days apart, or 100 days apart; rather than 40,000 kilometres apart.
If another pair of lovers were to stand at an arm's length- a comfortable distance where their hands are intertwined, I'd say that they are zero seconds apart from each other. But if one of their love had gone cold beneath that facade, their distance would feel further than the largest physical distance conceivable.
The largest conceivable distance of any sort, I think, is death.
I don't mean the distance between one who's living and one who's dead; I mean death, that brings about the distance between heaven and hell.
If I were a cursed lover with my back stiffly turned, I am hopeful that I can cross half the earth in time to come. If I were holding a hand whose favour upon me is no more, I can remain hopeful for reconciliation in time to come. Even if a loved one were to die, I bear the hope that I'll see that person after life- which would not pose a problem if we are both in heaven, or in hell I guess.
The most dreadful distance, and most terrible, therefore, is when two persons are placed separately in heaven and in hell, beyond light years, and in all eternity.
