So this one is way outside of my normal comfort zone, but it wanted to be written.
Amidst chill air
and deafening silence I roamed my empty house. The tips of my fingers traced
worn wooden backs of benches ready to seat my friends and family. In years
before they were packed, filling my home with warmth, love, and voices raised
in celebration of the season. This year I was alone.
Each of my
intended attendees had reasons to explain their absence. Each piercing excuse,
being forgotten and abandoned, filled me with sorrow. Was it worth putting
myself out there for people who would so quickly abandon love for simple
pleasures? To have one turn away in your moment of need is painful. To have all
do the same at your moment of joy is excruciating. Why would they do it? There
was only one way to know.
Soft snow
drifted lazily to concrete as I stepped bare footed onto the street. Roads
which once would have been empty on Christmas morning were only moderately
quiet. Neon burned the early morning, inviting all to exchange unwanted gifts
for mind numbing desires. Restaurants beseeched travelers to step in for an
overpriced meal. Gone were the days when the only cuisine to be found on the
holiday was of Chinese origin. Gone were the times when the only entertainment
available was the moving picture shows. Such was the march of progress.
The chill in my
house was nothing compared to the stabbing cold of knife edged wind cutting
through my thin clothing. Soon I happened upon a house belonging to one of my
family. Seeking comfort and joy I stepped inside.
“I bring the
presents I offer every day of every year.”
I spoke but none
listened. They looked through me without seeing. Exchanging store bought gifts
and plastic smiles they passed the time with empty love and hollow promises to
spend more time with each other. All the while they drank to excess to make the
excursion tolerable while dreaming of high production video games and internet
distractions they were missing out on. How many minutes of this day off were
being wasted on family and celebrations nobody believed in anymore?
Try as I might
none of them would look at me, none of them saw. Father, why have they forsaken
me? I thought as I tired of tarrying where I was unwanted. On my way to the
door I realized it was not all of them. The matron of the clan, a woman
approaching a century and a small child not yet school aged would look at me
and smile. Their eyes said happy birthday and their hearts nearly screamed it.
I delayed my exit to kiss them on the forehead and pray the hearts of the
others would open. Upon those two I bestowed my gifts; peace, love, and
tranquility.
Exiting the home
I witnessed others in the same predicament as me. The turbaned inheritor of my
legacy walked arm in arm with my desert wandering forefather. With them was the
elephant headed one from foreign lands. Like me they were unseen, even this
time of year, but they walked with a purpose so I followed.
The air grew
warmer as we approached a rundown part of town. I joined my fellows and we
looked upon a line of destitute men awaiting a warm meal, hoping there would be
enough. Moving amongst the dirty and disheveled were others, not much better
off. These shepherds passed out steaming cups of coffee and cocoa. Others
imparted blankets they could ill afford to part with to make life a little more
bearable. None here were wealthy and yet from their hearts they began to sing
the songs of joy that once filled my house.
I remembered why
the trials were worth it. We all knew that amongst the forgotten and the cast
offs we had family that would never abandon us. They had no internet to get
home to, no home to get internet to. Yet they had room in their hearts for us,
more importantly for each other.
Looking to my
brothers an unspoken truth passed between us. There were so many with so
little. There would never be enough thin soup to feed them all. Yet these ones
did not give up on hope and love. There was only one thing for it, one gift
left to give. I smiled to the others, warm for the first time that day as I
spoke.
“I once did this
trick with fish and bread. Let us work together and see how it works on soup.”
#shortstory #author #christmas #commentary #mythology #religion #socialcommentary #writer
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