The Man Who had One Rule

The story of a man and his hypothetical pathetic life.

September 8, 2015. It was 1:30 in the morning, in front of an old museum down in front of the city hall. A guy was walking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, as if he was waiting for something. Then he paused. For a moment. He pulled a cellular phone from his pocket and just stared at it.

He placed the thing back in his pocket, and continued walking.

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

Completely busying himself with his walk for a good 30 minutes.

Then as what he did in the former, he stopped, pulled the same phone from his pocket, and stared at it. Again, he stayed stared at the thing for a moment.

Then just like before, he placed the thing back in his pocket, and continued walking.

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

Never to stop, not until another 30 minutes.

Then, again, as what he did from the past few minutes, he stopped, pulled the same god-forsaken phone from his god-forsaken pocket, and stared at it. And just like what he did from the past few minutes ago, stayed stared at it for a god-forsaken moment.

Finally, from his disenchanted stare of the contraption, he then shook his head, placed the phone back in his pocket, and left.

 

The man, from where he was at, was stood up. He never felt so played. In fact, the man lived a life avoiding the circumstance. And from the fear of such circumstance amidst his principle: the man has but one rule for everything.

                When he was yet-a-five-year-old, he left his food on the table untouched, and his uncle made sure the day is finished without him touching any food.

From then on, the man had one rule on the table: never not finish whatever was served on the table; if it cannot be done, at least have three mouth-full-of-a-bite.

                When he was yet-a-twelve-year-old, he failed his math test from many unanswered questions, and his father made sure the day is finished with him staying up all night, remembering all the numbers, with him by the man’s side, aiding the pain of the spank, to the man’s suffering.  

From then on, the man had one rule on every test: never leave a number unanswered; if it cannot be done, keep the unanswered questions to a minimum of three.

                When he was yet-in-his-teen, he lost his best friend, and the funeral made sure the day is finished with him not forgetting all those memories they could have had spent instead of getting too busy with his studies.

From then on, the man had one rule with his friends: never not cherish his friends to their last breath; if it cannot be done, at least favor three absences from any responsibility to spend time with them.

 

Now, that he is on the first step of his adulthood, he was yet in another circumstance that would eventually beckons a new rule.

The man fell head over his feet over a lady friend. He sent her messages. He sent her gifts. He sent her flowers. The day came when he asked her out, and she said yes, only to await a few long minutes of inevitable heartbreak.

The man failed in love, and the day was assured to not finish without establishing a new rule: never over commit to any one that he fancies to pursue; if it cannot be done, at least invite them out on three times on different occasions, to analyze if the opposing party has a similar desire.

 

A year went by from his last encounter with cupid, and the roman god of desire have scheduled a new appointment; with him and another person of interest, a lady that has the face that even the gods cannot comprehend, and has the man trembling from where he stood.

                It is in the work place, where they meet. And the work place, where they became friends.

                In the past couple of days, they have become more and more fond with each other. Growing even more close with each other, in every single meeting they have encountered.

                It was in this time, when the man was haunted by his past. He cowers in the concept of inviting a person for a night of eating fine dining, for he is petrified of rejection, petrified of being stood up, petrified that the lady of interest was just being kind and does not feel a similar interest towards him.

                But he followed a principle, and according to this principle: a new established rule has to have him try to invite the lady thrice. And the man, was again, back on his track.

                Neither does the man know that this particular circumstance needed to be followed up with different relative considerations.

 

On his first try, the man casually brought up, in his messages, about a particular novelty establishment near the lady’s home.

He told her that he wanted to try it out.

Without hesitation, the lady told him that she wanted to try it too and urged the man to go tell her if he planned on going, so that she can accompany him.

                First try: a yes!

                Or so it seemed.

                When the guy was planning to arrange a schedule, the lady suddenly had a lot coming in on her plate.

                The man thought that it cannot be avoided, for he too was having a lot of responsibilities to balance. And the fact that the lady sounded so sincere and excited, made the man think that he has nothing to worry about.

                So, the man brushed it off.

                First try: a no.

 

The second time the man tried asking her out, was after a few weeks, when he thought the schedule was a little open and loose. This was a great thing, especially now, that they are even more close than ever.

Nothing can stop her from going out with him now.

                So, the man thought of a creative idea on asking her out. Hoping that the effort and the creativity of the invitation would urge her to go accept the personal request.

                It was a success!

                The lady said yes.

                Second try: a yes!

                Or so it seemed.

                It was all exciting for the man, only for one minor detail: the lady wanted to bring their friends with them.

                The man did not know what to think of the situation. The lady said yes, but it turns out she did not view it as something that the two of them, alone, can enjoy.

                Disappointed with the outcome, and confused to what the man can make of the situation, the man decided, the second try was a no, to his heartbreak.

                Second try: a no.

 

Before the third try came, the man made sure that both parties are even more fond with each other. And the signs show that they were.

                They were helping each other out with their responsibilities.

                They were waking each other up every morning through calls.

                The signs were all there. The lady has got to have the same feelings the man has towards her. But just to make sure, the man asked one of his friends if he thinks it’s a sure thing, to which the friend replied a confident yes, adding the statement of if ever the lady was not feeling the same thing towards the man, she would not make up a point to give him all this attention.

                The man was assured, and asked out the lady to a stand-up comedy bar. Surely bringing the lady to a place where she could laugh would open her heart even more the guy. And as to what the man theorized, it was a yes.

                Third try: a yes.

                Or so it seemed.

                The morning of the anticipated day, the lady asked through a message, if the man and the guys are still up to watching the stand-up comic event.

                This brought back the feeling of confusion from the man, for he made sure that it would be just them two. So, he replied that everyone was all busy, but he was still okay to accompany the lady.

                The man never received a reply.

                He walked back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, only to stop and stare at his phone to check for any messages, to a fail, which then triggers him to continue his walk.

                Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth.

                This went on two more times in the span of two hours.

                Third try: a no.

 

The situation broke the man’s heart into many a piece, that it brought him to emerge a lesser known rule, only unlike any other rules, this one has no consideration:

                Never have people hurt you; if they do, never give them a time in your life, or any attention.

                To which the man followed suit. He blocked the lady on his phone, and froze her out from his life, never to have talked to her ever again.

 

Little did the man know, that the lady has her own principles, her own set of rules.

                Having had many heartbreaks in the past, she too had her rule for the circumstance:

                Never go out alone with another person; if it cannot be done, make sure he is persistent enough to try to invite many times, only to accept the invitation on the fourth request.

 

               

 

               

 

Reviews

[olla]

perhaps a fable or parable.. just the daily trials of life can be daunting.. life has a pile of missed opportunities because of the fear of failure.. a well told tale.. even though I was pretty sure of the ending I still wanted to read it..

[wordman]

great story,i think i know this person