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The Strange one
I sat down with Annabel my four-year-old daughter in the dark, cold, and silent night besides the gentle sea.
We stared at the magnificent and colourful sky. As the stars shone like sugar split over a black marble, the moon lying quietly in this black and blue sky.
While enjoying the gentle breeze blowing on our faces, Annabel asked.
"Mummy, why was the candle wax grateful to the flame?".
My face went from beatific to slackjawed, while her face became more peering.
I knew changing topics wasn't going to work for her so I decided to tell her a story about the flame and candle wax.
************************************************
A long time ago, there lived a very young man. He was the strongest of his peers ever lived. He had no friends but he had foes; men who wanted to be like him but couldn't so all they did was hate on him.
He never used his strength to help any, and no one asked. And because of this, many called him selfish.
One day, an interesting fellow came to live in this small town. And he was quite the opposite of this very brave man.
He was the fairest of all his peers ever lived, and also the weakest of them all, his hair shone like gold and his eyes were enchanting; without a proper look one would mistake him for a woman.
Strangely enough, he took interest in the brave but secluded fellow.
" Just like opposite terms attract?"
Annabel interrupted me...
"Well, sort of," I said trying to get back to the story.
At first, the brave young man hated him because he didn't see any reason why a man should be so weak and with such an outrageous appearance.
However, the one he hated paid no attention to that. He was bullied by other men who thought it was wise to show their strength in others' weaknesses.
But amid his pains, he would still run to the brave fellow who offered him no help and tried to help him with his chores.
On a very sunny afternoon, Mr Flame came to the brave fellow's house looking all bruised up, when the brave fellow saw, he was shocked...
Yet, despite the bruises and swollen eyes, he gave out the most beautiful smile and acted as if nothing happened.
Still stunned, the brave one asked...
" Why don't you ever fight back?"
Mr Flame stared directly at him and said "Because I am weak" he said as tears shimmered in his eyes.
And for the first time, the brave one felt a flicker of pity for him.
Mr Flame was one person he just couldn't understand. To him, people have always been predictable so he tried his best to stay away from them.
As time goes on, Mr Flame and brave one became best friends, and it was no news to everyone in town.
But no one knows where Mr Flame came from.
All they knew was that he was a stranger who melted the heart of the brave one and made him more friendly.
One sad day, Mr Flame woke up, took his bag and bid his friend goodbye.
The brave tried as much as he can to know why he wanted to leave but just like he came, he left.
Mr Flame, regardless of what he heard about the brave one showed him love and care, even in times of his pain, he placed him over his needs.
This alone made the brave one swear that he would always be his strength and would always be there when he calls on him.
Months passed after Mr Flame left, the brave was already getting along with others so well and was no longer alone.
Unfortunately, Mr Flame wasn't... He was dying from a deadly disease which made people run away from him.
The news came to the brave one that his old-time friend and brother were at his death bed. He travelled through seas to meet him.
And finally, he did...he found him rejected and abandoned, he broke down in tears and ask why just the good die young. Despite how incurable the disease was, the brave one never left his side, he was grateful that the Mr Flame made him realize how it feels to be loved and to love.
Mr Flame passed on to the afterlife, but the story of how the made the heart hardened man became a friend to all was told through each generation.
On his tomb, he inscribed...
Thank you, for being my strength.
Thank you, for looking past my flaws.
Let's try to be the reason, one is happy.
Just like the flame.
© Joyce Godswill
We stared at the magnificent and colourful sky. As the stars shone like sugar split over a black marble, the moon lying quietly in this black and blue sky.
While enjoying the gentle breeze blowing on our faces, Annabel asked.
"Mummy, why was the candle wax grateful to the flame?".
My face went from beatific to slackjawed, while her face became more peering.
I knew changing topics wasn't going to work for her so I decided to tell her a story about the flame and candle wax.
************************************************
A long time ago, there lived a very young man. He was the strongest of his peers ever lived. He had no friends but he had foes; men who wanted to be like him but couldn't so all they did was hate on him.
He never used his strength to help any, and no one asked. And because of this, many called him selfish.
One day, an interesting fellow came to live in this small town. And he was quite the opposite of this very brave man.
He was the fairest of all his peers ever lived, and also the weakest of them all, his hair shone like gold and his eyes were enchanting; without a proper look one would mistake him for a woman.
Strangely enough, he took interest in the brave but secluded fellow.
" Just like opposite terms attract?"
Annabel interrupted me...
"Well, sort of," I said trying to get back to the story.
At first, the brave young man hated him because he didn't see any reason why a man should be so weak and with such an outrageous appearance.
However, the one he hated paid no attention to that. He was bullied by other men who thought it was wise to show their strength in others' weaknesses.
But amid his pains, he would still run to the brave fellow who offered him no help and tried to help him with his chores.
On a very sunny afternoon, Mr Flame came to the brave fellow's house looking all bruised up, when the brave fellow saw, he was shocked...
Yet, despite the bruises and swollen eyes, he gave out the most beautiful smile and acted as if nothing happened.
Still stunned, the brave one asked...
" Why don't you ever fight back?"
Mr Flame stared directly at him and said "Because I am weak" he said as tears shimmered in his eyes.
And for the first time, the brave one felt a flicker of pity for him.
Mr Flame was one person he just couldn't understand. To him, people have always been predictable so he tried his best to stay away from them.
As time goes on, Mr Flame and brave one became best friends, and it was no news to everyone in town.
But no one knows where Mr Flame came from.
All they knew was that he was a stranger who melted the heart of the brave one and made him more friendly.
One sad day, Mr Flame woke up, took his bag and bid his friend goodbye.
The brave tried as much as he can to know why he wanted to leave but just like he came, he left.
Mr Flame, regardless of what he heard about the brave one showed him love and care, even in times of his pain, he placed him over his needs.
This alone made the brave one swear that he would always be his strength and would always be there when he calls on him.
Months passed after Mr Flame left, the brave was already getting along with others so well and was no longer alone.
Unfortunately, Mr Flame wasn't... He was dying from a deadly disease which made people run away from him.
The news came to the brave one that his old-time friend and brother were at his death bed. He travelled through seas to meet him.
And finally, he did...he found him rejected and abandoned, he broke down in tears and ask why just the good die young. Despite how incurable the disease was, the brave one never left his side, he was grateful that the Mr Flame made him realize how it feels to be loved and to love.
Mr Flame passed on to the afterlife, but the story of how the made the heart hardened man became a friend to all was told through each generation.
On his tomb, he inscribed...
Thank you, for being my strength.
Thank you, for looking past my flaws.
Let's try to be the reason, one is happy.
Just like the flame.
© Joyce Godswill
