MISERY

The ground was all covered with green grass, the flowers had started blooming, the birds were singing happily, and everywhere the magic of spring hung in the air. I felt this magic myself; it was evident in my happy expression. I woke up feeling very happy.

I walked back from the gathering, whose purpose I do not remember, with my friend of almost four years – Virgil. Everywhere around us people were laughing, discussing the outcome of the meeting. Virgil and I were also discussing, I care not to remember what we were talking about as we always have issues – both mundane and serious – to discuss. The camaraderie and easy friendship we share is out of this world, we know each other almost perfectly.

As we walked, laughing and chatting, I stopped to greet people and my friend patiently waited for me each time. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach, I made a cry of pain and alarm and my hands flew automatically of their own accord to clutch at my stomach. Virgil was alarmed and he was right beside me immediately, asking about what happened. Almost as sudden as it came, the pain disappeared. I stood up tall and straight, and told my friend that I was fine.

What on earth I did to annoy Virgil, I know not, but suddenly my friend increased his pace and left me behind. I thought nothing of it at first. I stopped to greet some more people, but unlike the previous times, my friend was not waiting.

I increased my pace too, trying to catch up but I could not. My temper was starting to run short, so I called out to him and told him that I was not ready to chase after him if he was not going to wait. He stopped, I walked up to him and tried to find out what was wrong but he said he was okay. We walked the rest of the road in silence.

As we walked on, I tried to figure out what was wrong with him. It then dawned on me that my friend was annoyed at himself for letting his emotions show. I realized the truth that had stared me in the face for so long: my friend was in love with me but he was in denial even to himself, and I had willingly decided not to see it. Then I thought to myself, “Dear friend, why do you decide to keep yourself in misery?” The greatest truth of all then dawned on me; there were two people in the chains of that misery. Two people whose true happiness depended on the love that was yet to be admitted and shared.

(Just a short story I wrote for one of my classes in 2009. I read it today and for some reason, it stood out to me. By the way, this is a work of fiction).