Words Have More Power Than You Know 6th of Spring AV 511 It had been a long day at work and Ronin was ready to come home and rest. He walked slowly back to his quarters. His mind wandered from topic to topic, unable to really focus on anything. He was too tired and too apathetic at the time to get any serious thinking done. His boots clicked against the stone floor, and the rhythm was eventually the only thing filling his mind. He had walked home enough times to be walking backward and upside down and still be on auto-pilot. Ronin didn't make eye contact with anyone as he walked past them. He wanted to make it home without any excitement or events. He just wanted to sleep. After a few minutes, he reached his door. His hand dug into his pocket and fished out the key to the lock. He fiddled with the temperamental lock for a moment before it would let him it. He didn't even bother to light a candle as he stepped inside. his plan was to simply kick off his boots and fall on his bed. But as his feet crossed into his room he noticed a small sound of crinkling paper under his boot. He kicked off his shoes as he had planned, but then he went across the room to get a candle. He knew he hadn't left and papers laying around, and he wasn't expecting a letter from anyone. By the time finally got a candle lit, his eyes had already adjusted to the dark and the bright light hurt his eyes. He shielded them from the candle for a moment until he got used to the light again. There, by the door, was a small white envelope. Had some passer-by dropped it on accident and did it float under his door? Or had someone intentionally left it there? He had no clue. Ronin walk over to it gingerly, as his now bear feet were freezing on the cold stone floor. He picked it up and examined the unsealed envelope. It was completely blank except for a few dark stains. Ronin walked over to his desk and plopped himself down into the chair. This was not what he had planned on doing when he got home, and he was less than enthusiastic about it. He pulled the letter out of the envelope with little care, tearing the envelope a bit. The letter was on yellowed paper and written in black ink. The handwriting was obviously a man's, but it was still eloquent. Ronin figured it was probably on official document of some sort. He had recently pain his taxes. Maybe it had something to do with that. But, as his eyes poured over the words he suddenly realized this was something far more important than that. These were the words he had waited for all his life. "By the time I was your age I'd give anything, to fall in love truly was all I could think. That's when I met your Mother, the girl of my dreams; The most beautiful woman that I'd ever seen. She said, 'Boy can I tell you a wonderful thing? I can't help but notice you staring at me. I know I shouldn't say this, But I really believe that I can tell by your eyes that you're in love with me.' Now son, I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things. Now most of the time we'd have too much to drink. We'd laugh at the stars, and we'd share everything. Too young to notice and too dumb to care, love was a story that couldn't compare. I said, 'Girl can I tell you a wonderful thing? I made you a present with paper and string. Open with care, now I'm asking you please. You know that I love you, will you marry me?' Now son, I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things. You'll learn, one day, I hope and I pray that God, shows you differently. She said, 'Boy can I tell you a terrible thing? It seems that I'm sick and I've only got weeks. Please don't be sad now. I really believe you were the greatest thing that ever happened to me.' Slow, so slow, I fell to the ground on my knees. So don't fall in love, there's just too much to lose. If given the choice then I beg you to choose to walk away. Walk away, don't let her get you. I can't bare to see the same thing happen to you. Now son, I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things." Ronin had been estranged from is father for years. This was the first contact they had since Ronin was dropped off at the communal nursery at the age of five. Tears were hitting the page before he had even finished reading. He had to stop three times in order to dry his eyes enough to be able to read. Ronin felt as though his heart had stopped in his chest as it was ripped apart by more emotions than he could name. For so long he had hated his father, but now, he hardly could any more. He still blamed his father for what he had done and the pain it had caused, but he finally understood why. Ronin had not once stopped to think about what his father must have been going through. The pain he must have felt every time he looked at Ronin. None of this absolved what Ronin's father had done, but at the very least, it the the first step in bridging the gap. Ronin spent the next hour weeping silently. So many long dammed up emotions came rushing forth into his mind, and at times, he became so overwhelmed that his body began to physically shake. When all had subsided, one question was left resounding in Ronin's mind. Why? Why now, after so many years, why did he now try to make an effort? And why should Ronin care after years of resentment? Why did a simple piece of paper spark such a roaring wave of emotions in him? None of these were questions he could answer tonight, or maybe ever. But Ronin knew that the most he could do now was try and sleep, let his exhausted body rest, and try to make sense of this in the morning. With that thought, Ronin blew out the candle and shuffled to his bed. He didn't even bother to pull the blanket over top of himself. He simply curled up in the tightest ball he could and began to rock back and forth. He was a broken man. So much so, that he didn't even consider the foolishness of his actions. There was no point in letting his emotions get the better of him, but in this moment, not everything had to have a point. So many things seemed pointless in the light of this new discovery. Unable to think any more, Ronin's mind finally shut off and let him sleep. The End |
Letter Origin :
Hey, I stole the letter from Mayday Parade's song Terrible Things. I just heard it today and thought it seemed perfect. Here it is -
