…and as I was wandering from town to town in search of shelter for the night, a distant house caught my eye. Nestled away from the road, it lay hidden amidst trees and was surrounded by the beauty of nature, with a solitary pond shimmering under the moonlight, nestled beside the woods.
The welcoming light beckoned me closer.
Upon nearing, I noticed a man on the porch, holding a cigarette and seemingly lost in contemplation. The gravel road echoed with the sound of my sandals, prompting him to look up with surprise in his eyes. With a gentler tone than his stern expression, he asked, “Can I help you? Are you lost?” Taking a moment, I replied, “I’ve been walking all day, and I’m tired and thirsty. I forgot everything is closed on Christmas Day.”
He opened the gate and invited me to join him. The waxing moon stood in front of us, casting a warm and inviting glow behind the dormant trees, on that cold winter night.
We sat in silence for a while until he spoke, “If she were here, there would probably be music playing in the background.”
“Where is she?” I asked. He lit up another cigarette, took a deep breath, and said, “Perhaps she resides amongst the stars, engaging in playful encounters with The Little Prince or indulging in endless conversations with Vincent.”
“She’s nowhere and she’s everywhere. She left but never left me. Sadly, I was the one who bid her farewell, yet I find myself unwilling to ever let her go.”
“She yearned for peace but was restless; she was kind but brutal when defending her truth; she loved fiercely and defended her love when she felt threatened. She wanted to be led but was a lone soldier who had fought her battles alone, which made her strong and resilient… and feisty.”
As I observed him in silence, a profound pain reflected in his eyes, casting a chill that deepened the already cold and damp night. Suddenly, he turned to meet my gaze, as if reawakening to my presence. Our eyes locked, and in that silent exchange, he bared everything.
Each wrinkle and scar on his weathered skin told its own tale, but it was the transparency in his eyes that laid bare his heart, soul, and the impenetrable walls of the prison within.
“She loved me selflessly. She witnessed my darkness, collided with my walls, confronted the devil within me, the one who had control of me. She forgave me and embraced me as I repeatedly sought to shatter her spirit. I was never able to prevent it from controlling me—pulling the strings to make me dance to its own tune.
She believed in a version of me I’ve never met, seeing in me a light I always tried to dim.”
“Every time I let my ‘Master’ take control, frustration consumed her. I pushed her away, rejecting and neglecting her to honor him—the ‘Master’ who shielded me from heartbreaks. Little did I know, her love proved stronger than his grasp, and he, like an angered warrior, fought for possession… he owned and still owns me.”
“I did everything I could to push her away, yet every time she spoke of leaving, I found myself pulling her back towards me. I punished her for my past, my wrongdoings, my weaknesses, and my fears. Each time she chose to stay, her love and patience grew stronger, but her heart… her heart was wounded, and her spirit broken.”
I placed my hand over his arm, attempting to offer comfort, though I couldn’t be certain if he felt it. He lit yet another cigarette, took a deep breath, and walked away without uttering a word. We never even exchanged names.
I sat by the pond until morning broke, feeling her presence in every stone, in each form of water, and in every creature around me.
She entered his life to learn her hardest and last lesson: love is never enough.
I glanced around one final time, and my eyes lingered on the statue of a Bodhisattva gazing toward the water. It struck me—this could have been a love story, had pride and ego not taken the stage.