truth

The old man stood up, picked his hat and cane off from the bench, and began to slowly walk down the path leading through the park.  He complained of the arthritis that troubled his bones and joints, but nevertheless continued on, passing under the shade of the bent trees that lined the walkway.

As he went, he grumbled.  And almost as if in response, a pair of birds started to chirp, chorusing a high-pitched melody full of hope and happiness.  The old man stopped on the path, squinting up at the birds with a scowl on his face.  Birds, utterly repulsive.  The little bastards were just rats with wings–loud, obnoxious flying rats.  And these birds were the singing types.  The old man shivered with disgust.  Good for nothing and useless, that’s what they were.  Not even worthy of being the main course for a pagan holiday.

Yet there they were, casually fluttering back and forth, left to right, across the old man’s vision, almost as if taunting him.  Damn birds! The old man’s eyes flared.  Stooping down, he violently snatched a stone from the path and chucked it at the musical duo.  His eyes tracked the birds as they scattered, flying away from the park and the old, grumpy man that lurked within it.

Before proceeding onward, the old man gave the immediate area a quick scrutiny, ensuring that no birds, or happiness, remained.  Then, an inconspicuous soccer ball rolled onto the path, halting at his feet.  And, while it was not an obstacle, it caused the old man to stop nonetheless.  Suddenly, several children appeared on the path, apparently the boys and girls whose ball it was.  The old man stared at them, and they at him, though while he contemplated their grotesqueness, they simply wanted their ball back.

But, he refused to allow it.  The old man wondered, how could he prevent their happiness? What would be best to teach the children the unfairness of life? The ball seemed too tough to puncture, and besides, the old man had nothing sharp on his person.  He considered kicking it away, but the old man knew he had not the strength to do so.  And even if the ball did travel a significant distance, the children, with their abnormal vitality and likely drug-induced reserves of energy, would be able to chase it down and retrieve it.

Thus, after much debate, the old man decided on his only option.  He took a few steps toward the children, basking in the fear he could see in their eyes, and smiling coldly all the while.  Drawing his cane upward, the old man began to strike the little children, lashing their calves with his wooden stick, which elicited painful cries of agony from them.  After a minute or two, the old man determined his satisfaction in having taught the dreadful children a lesson.  To think that they really believed, for even a second, that he would possibly return their ball.  It was only another example of the prevalence of naivety.  Hope and happiness did not exist! But, the fools all around him insisted otherwise.  Well then, the old man would show them the truth.  He would make it his responsibility to eliminate the ideas of those who hoped for hope, or were happy because of happiness.

Returning to the time at hand, the old man inspected his cane, making certain that those damned children’s legs had not damaged it in any way.  After doing this, the old man resumed his trek, but this time with renewed purpose.  However, he was careful not to identify his purpose as a source of happiness, lest he contradict his profound truths altogether.

As he continued his walk, he noted that the presence of trees was diminishing, and he began to feel something heat his back.  Gazing up to the sky, the old man realized the cause of the new sensation.  An old foe of his, the sun.  Though he was scornfully turned away from it, the sun continued to thoughtlessly cast its rays on the old man’s back.  Refusing to allow this to become a discomfort, the old man adjusted his hat and continued down the path, grumbling of the sun’s lack of sympathy or care for the residents of this dreary planet.

Really, the sun was rather rude.  Bathing half the planet in light and warmth like that; and without even being asked to do so.  Completely inconsiderate.