Short Story number 5

Short Story number 5: Inspired by the song «Bird of Sorrow» by Glen Hansard from the solo album Rhythm and Repose. 

         The soft glow of the morning light revealed the tiny specks of dust lingering in the air, as his feet slowly stepped on the fallow soil. Thin cracks crisscrossed the dry ground, in a repetitive pattern, extending far beyond the horizon. In this bare and deserted road, fragments of what were once parts of living organisms remained scattered along the road, exhibiting clear signs of the erosion caused by the exposure to the elements, like statements of the fragility of life and a visible testimony of the relentlessness of time.

As he progressed in this unforgiving road, he concentrated his strength in each step he took. During the course of his long journey he learned that, when times of trouble hovered on the horizon, the best way to overcome the obstacles was by focusing one’s attention on small details and diverts one’s thoughts from the big picture. Otherwise it would be harder to maintain the faith to keep on going.

 After a few miles travelling on the desolate road he noticed small changes on the pattern of the landscape. The once arid and flat soil, slowly gave way to a harsh and uneven road, paved with rocks of all shapes and sizes and full of treacherous holes.

The first contact with this new reality was disastrous to him. The deceiving terrain hid many dangers which needed to be carefully anticipated in order to be avoided. Lacking this capacity, he was often mislead by the apparent solidness of the path, only to be betrayed by some unsteady rocks, which made him fell on his knees time and time again. Those were the moments when he almost let despair take over his heart. Yet, his unquestionable faith on what laid ahead, over the horizon, did not allow him to give up. He gathered all his strength, adjusted his actions to the new circumstances and resumed his walk.

 The first rays of the rising sun indicated that a new day had begun. By that time, he was about to reach the summit of a rocky hill. The steepness of the trail had pushed his body to the brink of exhaustion, so he stopped, and sat down on a big grey rock. At that point, the silence was so overwhelming, that the weight of loneliness began to overpower his thoughts. On those occasions, he clung to the certainty that he was not alone in this journey. Many others were on the way, and like him, struggled to remain faithful to the hope of a happy ending. That stubborn resilience was the tenuous but decisive line that separated those who survived and those who succumbed.

Feeling reinvigorated, he was preparing to stand up again, when something   caught his attention. In the middle of this lifeless realm a delicate plant strived to break out and survive the harsh desolation. He approached the little wonder and engaged in the delight of admiring this miracle of nature. This inspiring vision, made him realize, that small details, like this one, often hold within amazing revelations that, if embraced with humbleness, might teach us priceless lessons and point us the right direction.

This decisive moment, gave him the strength that he needed to carry on with his journey. Slowly but utterly he progressed in the terrain and finally reached the summit of the rocky hill. From where he was standing, a new reality unfolded before his eyes, and what he saw far exceeded his expectations. The grey and harsh landscape gave way to a luxuriant and green valley. He closed his eyes and recognized that all the adversities he had endured throughout his perilous journey, were not in vain, for he had finally reached his destination. That conviction made the moment even more precious to him. He was sure that from now on everything would be alright. For now, his journey was over but he knew that others will follow. When that moment arrived again, he would be ready to leave, carrying hope in his heart.

                                                                                  By Raquel R.