The two strangers arrived at the peak when they came to the simultaneous realisation that their journey together would end there. Having assumed that their ultimate destination was common, it was rather surprising that this revelation did not surprise either one of them at all.
After all, regular connotations had underlined their entire excursion.
They had met at the beginning of the path, though it was far from the beginning for either one of them. That location was simply the fateful meeting point of their own individual paths.
An exchanged smile and a few platonic words marked the beginning of their hike upwards. As each foot was swallowed up by their eager - albeit somewhat tentative - steps, a little more of their personalities were revealed to each other until both believed that they knew the other well.
The hours passed and the sun rose up high above their heads. They shared the peace that blankets humanity at the moment where the sun hangs briefly over the horizon... right before it sank out of their sight as if a child had dropped a biscuit in a glass of cold milk.
Dark greeted them and like children seeking comfort, they were drawn to each other. They fooled themselves that this connection ran deeper, when the truth hidden not so far below the surface was that their intentions were purely selfish: each wanted what the other could give them, yet neither was willing to relinquish the control over their own being completely.
Not to a complete stranger.
It became apparent to both parties in the dawning light of the new day that their travelling companion was merely an acquaintance. Despite the intimacy perceived in their conversations and actions, they had barely scratched the superficial exteriors of the other.
So as they observed the expansive valley ahead of them, a polite smile was shared and a goodbye was bartered for a half-hearted assurance in a possible parley in the ambiguous future.
Paths were chosen, and the brief fellowship came to an end.
The awareness of the significance of their recent uphill foray weighed heavily on both their minds as they progressed down their determined paths: that brief interaction - however insignificant it seemed to an outsider - had changed something fundamental within each individual.
They were altered.
After all, regular connotations had underlined their entire excursion.
They had met at the beginning of the path, though it was far from the beginning for either one of them. That location was simply the fateful meeting point of their own individual paths.
An exchanged smile and a few platonic words marked the beginning of their hike upwards. As each foot was swallowed up by their eager - albeit somewhat tentative - steps, a little more of their personalities were revealed to each other until both believed that they knew the other well.
The hours passed and the sun rose up high above their heads. They shared the peace that blankets humanity at the moment where the sun hangs briefly over the horizon... right before it sank out of their sight as if a child had dropped a biscuit in a glass of cold milk.
Dark greeted them and like children seeking comfort, they were drawn to each other. They fooled themselves that this connection ran deeper, when the truth hidden not so far below the surface was that their intentions were purely selfish: each wanted what the other could give them, yet neither was willing to relinquish the control over their own being completely.
Not to a complete stranger.
It became apparent to both parties in the dawning light of the new day that their travelling companion was merely an acquaintance. Despite the intimacy perceived in their conversations and actions, they had barely scratched the superficial exteriors of the other.
So as they observed the expansive valley ahead of them, a polite smile was shared and a goodbye was bartered for a half-hearted assurance in a possible parley in the ambiguous future.
Paths were chosen, and the brief fellowship came to an end.
The awareness of the significance of their recent uphill foray weighed heavily on both their minds as they progressed down their determined paths: that brief interaction - however insignificant it seemed to an outsider - had changed something fundamental within each individual.
They were altered.
i commented earlier but i guess it didnt get through.
ReplyDeletei find this to be beautiful i dont know why.
Thank you, it just poured right out of me one night... Painful to read through.
ReplyDelete