We

A short story I've written. The narrator is an old man who has been through a lot of pain and the pain continues to haunt him even though he is older now.

We were a team. We were friends. We were… Our friendship was as strong as an ionic bond. Little did we know; ionic compounds are breakable. We were naive. Oblivious. Oblivious to the fact that nothing lasts forever. Everything is temporary. I just; I wish that I knew this back then. Back when I was a boy whose eyes were filled with hopes and dreams wider than that of the ocean. Before I was crumbled by the twin infamy of corruption and truth. If I did… then I wouldn’t be here writing an anthology of sorrowful regret. Instead, I’d be a joyous old man telling tales of his childhood. And then my grandchildren would laugh at their delinquent grandfather. But no, the moon of fate had decided that I should be a miserable man. A lone man. We are no longer aware of each other’s whereabouts. The turbulent waves of life had drifted us far apart. I regret it. I regret it all! Regret is a heavy weight on the fragile human heart. As people get older, they recall the happy times. The good times. Times they wish they could go back to. The number of times I’ve heard old farts like myself wish for a time machine, is unbelievable. I, however, am swimming in a sea of regret, and unable to write about the wonderful days without speaking of the darkness that has invaded my life. It’s ironic. It’s almost as if my sparkling memories have been tied up in a knot along with my dull memories. I am a man, now. No longer a boy. But, I am alone. No more we, just I. Does maturity come at the cost of loneliness? I am an unfortunate soul scarred by empty holes waiting to be filled. Yet, nobody is willing to occupy those holes with the simple blossom of love anymore. I fear that I will forever be empty. How can one live with a hollow soul? Is a hollow being still considered human? Grandly, I don't feel human anymore. Rather, I feel like a waste of oxygen. That's what the road crosses call me anyway. I am useless today... I am isolated. I am alone. I am lonely… I guess I’ll forever suffer in solitude. I might as well just… just… disappear.

Reviews

[apennylate]

Light never comes without shadow, and the closer one is to the source... The longer ones shadow becomes... This was a keen write full of regret, heartache, and mature loneliness... Not usually the biggest fan of melancholy stories, but this was just riveting... I might as well just... Suffer forever in the fact forever is not a fact... Isolatingly penned...

[Elizabeth]

I can feel the sorrow and regret emanating from the story. wonderfully penned. I really want to know what happened to the old man that he is so forlorn.

[pia]

This was a wonderful write. You did an amazing job portraying the old man's regret and sorrow. I was kinda looking forward to knowing how badly he messed up in his life that lead him to become such a person
In a way you did do a good job..youve made me interested in what happened to him.
This was a great read.
Loved it

[pia]

Ahh. I think im a lil nuts for closure lol. Ok come to think of it. This reflects alot of my grandfather. As lil boy he had to leave his home and come to a new country. Had his dad leave him and his family...wow this was really well done !!

[Decidious wind]

Thank God life has changed for us and now things like that are just stories

[Lubnh]

I liked the first paragraph, maybe towards the end you lost track of ideas? I dunno but overall it's good.

[amyo]

As I read, I ask myself if I have been so oblivious. Yes, in youth we just don't know to hold on to things tightly. I wonder if the "sparkling memories...tied up in a knot" are enough to hold on to? Life has left so many of us "scared by empty holes". Such a reflective piece. Even as an adult, though, can we find someone or something capable of filling us?

[Decidious wind]

From your review i can infer that you're an adult and i guess that means my story sounds very well written in the perspective of an old man though I'm not yet an adult