The Man

There once was a man that lived in a place.

Where, I couldn't tell you, but he lived above reality, in a cloud above the sky.  He lived above Hope and next to Fear and was the happiest man on the island in the sky.

Fear was a woman who was always prompt.  She was never late and prided herself on doing everything right.  She had never gone to school and never been born.  She was the most intelligent of them all, but would never take that mantle.

The other woman always looked up and didn't mind being beneath others.  She was caring and kind, never missing a beat when the others were sad, the mother neither had had.

The man was unassuming at best.  He woke up every morning at four to take three sugar cubes with his morning tea, earl grey with a lemon wedge; to have a crumpet and gaze upon an ever-expanding sea of pinks and purples at dawn and dusk. Yellows and whites at midday. 

He sat on a ledge right outside his doorstep and gazed on and on, sipping his tea and letting the glow wash over him.  Every day, Hope would come and sit with him.  Fear would rather stay home in the mornings, always having some chore to do. 

Sometimes they would sit in Fear's house, always pristine from work, and enjoy a game or two and some pleasant conversation by the fire. 

Other times they would go to Hope's house, always a mess in the corners but more colourful than both the others combined.  There would always be a sense of fun here, and they would often not get anything done, enjoying each other's company.

On other days still, they would go to the house of the man.  His house was the smallest of the three and had the least amount of things in it.  The few things that the man did have was some furniture and whatever he had in his cupboards.

They had a small garden in the back where many things grew, anything that could be eaten could grow there, not just plants mind you, and everyday, before they went to bed, they planted what they needed for the next day.  Planting was one of the things that they all looked forward to, each did what they needed to and they made what they needed.

Everything on that island was perfect for them all, each had everything that they needed, and they wanted nothing more than what they had already.  The company of each other filled the cracks when they wanted something else, and they were happy. They had been living like this for as long as they could remember, and they couldn't think of anything better.

Then one day there came another island into view.  They all gathered on that day to look at the other island as it came closer for they had not seen other people before, knowing only themselves and each other. 

The other island was dark, three houses could be seen there but only one had lights in it.  Candles lit the one house, its flames casting harsh shadows onto the windows. Stone creatures studded the points of the large house and jutted outwards, inviting a fight. 

The island came close and slowly stopped in front of them.  A businessman in a vest came forward and extended his hand which the man shook, the two women standing on his side.  The businessman was guided into the house of the man, they sat down while the man went to get tea and crumpets for the businessman.

When the man came back with a tray, the businessman was gone, the two women sat there, unmoving.  The man saw the other island drifting away, slowly moving out of view and down below.  The man was confused, he asked Fear, then Hope with no avail.  He sat down with them, offering Fear some tea, dark with no sugar, she took it hesitantly, he offered Hope a crumpet, she did not take it.  They sat there like they had always done, but there was no happiness.  Only silence met the ears of the man, and nothing he did would change that. 

Fear and Hope went back to their homes, they needed to do some work they said, the man needed to clean as well and said that they would meet in the evening to do the planting. 

Evening came and the man went outside.  The purples were different today he said, and he went to the garden.  Fear was there, early as always, and was getting things ready for the work that they needed to do.  Hope wasn't there.  The man asked Fear if she knew why, Fear did not respond.  They worked for a while, Hope had yet to come.  She was sometimes late, they knew that, but she would never have been that late, they knew that.  The two of them were done in a little while more, everything was ready for tomorrow, but Hope had not yet shown up.

They exchanged goodbyes and went back to their houses. 

The next day the man got ready as always, taking new clothes from his cabinet and taking his tea and crumpet from the kitchen.  He went outside and sat on the ledge and looked outwards.  Fear joined him.  He gazed at her in wonder as she lifted him up and pulled him towards Hope's house.

The man laughed and asked why, but there was no answer.  He knocked on the door and found the door to be open.  He went inside, Fear following close behind.  The walls were white, the furniture gone, just an empty room with nothing but them in it.  He heard soft noises behind him, he turned around to Fear sobbing. 

They went to his ledge and looked outwards, pink glow looked back at them. 

In the evening they planted in the garden for the two of them, and then went to bed. 

Morning came like any other, rays beamed down on the man's face, waking him up.  He took his clothes and tea and went outside, groggily.  He found that he had not slept well, if at all.   He went to the house next to his, knocking on the door, calling for Fear to come out.  He found the door open and walked in. He found the house to be empty, one large room with nothing inside but himself.

Turning around, he saw that the other island was right in front of theirs, the businessman stood at the ledge, looking at the man.  The man ran to him, demanding what had happened on that day.

The businessman said nothing, only smiling.  His tophat threatened to fall off as his smile grew wider.  He extended his hand and motioned to follow him.  The man looked behind him, and then took the businessman's hand.

He stepped off of their island and onto the other island. 

The man questioned him again. 

The businessman answered. 

"I told them the truth."