Deception, Marc Jablonski [free books to read TXT] 📗

The foreigner looked up expectingly. And as he did not speak, I did not listen. But I took him in with hopes that I could help him continue his journey across the ground. Looking everywhere for anything left. And although he was mute, he certainly was not deaf. He hissed and grunted when a comment was made of him. "Where is this animal off to?", they'd say. And he'd growl once more. He stayed at my house for about four weeks, determined to pick up where he left off. I thought it was a bad idea for him to leave, for when I found him, he was on the streets, weak and tired. However it was his eyes, that allowed me to travel to his position. And through the irises, I saw loneliness cry out to me. He did not have to speak to tell me what he needed.
My neighbors did not appreciate his stay. Oh, it was quite noticeable that he was different, but he thought the same. My neighbors did not like change, either. A new soul to inhabit this land. Not claim of course, but inhabit. And he didn't take either, or he balanced the ratio by giving his services. Soon enough my neighbors would surround him looking for wisdom. He just had to touch their heads and look into their eyes. And if it wasn't comfort he gave, it was answers that traveled from his eyes to theirs. Wisdom he brought. Philosophy he made. And about twenty-nine days after he arrived he left. Departing with love and food.
Our ground was left the same for a couple of days, until a new fellow arrived, panting and gasping for breath. His eyes were wide open, yet they didn't seem to be focusing on any scene. I welcomed him in, as I did with the other stranger and offered to shelter him.
"Good evening, or morning rather, or afternoon. I don't quite know which, or what time it is really, but I suppose I shouldn't be worrying about that at a time like this..." He trailed off, but I was curious at the last phrase.
"A time like this?" I inquired.
"No, no nothing at all. I wonder, where am I? I've been traveling for days, I know that much. For days! Well at least the distinction between night and day had appeared quite a few times. Yes, yes, dawn and dusk. Sunrise and sunset."
I finally interrupted his mumbling. "Where have you come from?"
"I don't know. Well, you see, I can't see. At all. I'm blind as a bat, but I can tell you I've come from far away with my two brothers..."
"Brothers? Was one of them perhaps mute?"
"Why, yes! Have you seen him? In fact my other brother is deaf. He can talk alright. I don't know how he learned though..."
"Yes, yes, I have seen him. In fact, he has come down this road. Such a gentle soul, he was. Passing through though."
"That would be him! And you say he went right through?"
"Yes. If you don't mind me asking, where are you going?"
"Oh, I'm going with him. Well not 'with' him, but of course to the same place. A safe place...," He paused. And for the first time I could see he was serious. "Things aren't good. I can't say much more." But it quickly ended and he began his mood once more.
"Have you anything to eat?" He said licking his lips. And so as I fed him he told stories of happiness and fairy tales of love. The neighbors began appearing at my door after hearing of his famous stories. His stories evoked so much emotion, but he never told a story of his past. He could not.As if he had either forgotten, or wanted to forget. Our ground had welcomed these new stories with open arms after given comfort from the mute foreigner. And I knew they were ready for change.
But just as the other brother had to leave, this one had to leave as well. And almost exactly twenty-nine days after he arrived, he departed. My neighbors went back to their daily routines with the new idea given from the strangers engraved in their minds. The possibility of open minds allowed the possibilities of memories opening the gates of the past. And the whole ground waited for the final brother hoping to gain something new. As expected the deaf brother appeared.
I ushered him into my house to prepare food. He finally said, "Hi. I have come from far away. I would like to thank you for your kindness." And that was it. My neighbors waited for good news of new teachings he would bring, but none came. Little did we know he would teach us the most out of the three. A simple lesson. Soon my neighbors lost hope and prepared for the foreigner's exit.
The night before the fourth week of his stay, he declared his leaving without looking for a reply. The next morning I woke up to see our ground in flames and our food gone. And with the food went the deaf stranger. As I watched my neighbors cry, I sat down in my only chair left and sighed.
Should we have trusted the third brother as much as we did? We gave all hope and we were vulnerable. Cheated, pathetic, and vulnerable. And I had not considered the idea that the brother had deceived us as a whole, until I saw them walking together on the side of our ground twenty-nine days after the third brother had departed. And they were smiling as they walked. I planned on surprising them with my newfound knowledge, however when I appeared in front of them, they leapt away right into a moving metal-based machine where they reached the end of their road.

* * * *

"Turn the music off!" she shrieked. "Dad, this isn't even music!"
"Shut up," her brother yelled. But before he could say anything further the car jolted forwards and stopped, as the father pressed the brakes as hard as he could. It was too late. The mother stepped out of the car and looked back at her husband.
"Honey, aw, look at this. You hit three possums!"
"How could you!" the sister screamed.
"Calm down, Jesus Christ," the brother replied. But the father wasn't paying attention, he had his eyes towards the squirrel on the side of the road. It was as if the squirrel was staring at him. The mother returned to her seat in the car, and they drove away. The squirrel was motionless, almost confused, but it eventually returned to its home. Its ground.

Text: © Marc Jablonski
Publication Date: 12-21-2009

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