The Old Man Read online

  "What?" The old man said.

  "Are you lost?"

  "No." The old man said while trying to stand. The full beard man holds him in his arm to assist him in standing up.

  "So what are you doing here?"

  "I am reading the tombstones."

  "Why? Are you trying to find a relative? I memorize every name of dead person here. I guess I can help you on finding your dead relative."

  "No." The old man said. He looks around, trying to find a significant object or tombstone in the cemetery. His eyes lock on the statue. A statue of an angel, something is different with the statue.

  The old man walks as fast as he can to the angel. The angel is standing tall and proud. It is standing to and obelisk and it has a name. It is Belinda Henderson, age is 60, there is no quote but there is a message and it says "In loving memory of Erasmus Henderson. I love you in every verse that exists."

  The keeper of the cemetery catches up with the old man.

  "Is that your wife?"

  "No." The old man said. "I found this statue too good to be in here."

  Chapter 7

  The old man checks the next grave. He finds the tombstone of a person with a statue but a bit boring because it doesn't have any quote or occupation.

  He then checks the next tombstone. It is Nicole Anderson, that has a year from 1978-1999. She doesn't have a quote or an occupation. The old man tries the next one, but still, no quote or occupation.

  He just rubs his chin while going out the cemetery. When he passed the gate of the cemetery, he looks back like he forgot something. He then waves to the keeper of the cemetery.

  He doesn't have a plan. He thought that he might as well walk to nowhere until he knows what to do.

  The old man walks until he came to the business district of the town. He thought that this place seems from a different world.

  Technically, the world he knows is just the nursing home. This place is full of young people, wearing better clothes. This place seems to be for the adult. It seems that this is the version of the nursing home for the adult.

  The old man thinks that the adults are pretty bored here even if this place is beautiful because the senior are also bored in their place. That usually happens when you get inside a cycle.

  The old man walks in front of the stores, he saw TV almost big as his table from the nursing home. The next store has a lot of clothes, women clothes.

  The next establishment is a restaurant. He saw a happy family that is near the window. The toddler saw him. It points the old man using his fork that has a meatball. It seems that he is giving the old a food.

  The next establishment is a gym. A lot of people here is full of sweat. They are making their selves beautiful. They are making themselves beautiful to the eyes of the society. They are raising the bar of beauty. The old man notices that some of the people inside aren't working out. Some of them are just holding a rectangular object. They are looking into it and making faces. The old man didn't know that it is a phone that has a camera, but sooner he will know this technology.

  He doesn't know where to start. He doesn't know where he is or what do he needs to do next.

  The old man with his briefcase and old shoes, walk to his destiny.

  After minutes of pointless walking, he became exhausted. Old people became exhausted fast. He sat down at a bus station. On his right is a kid that is lying on the bench.

  The old man becomes bored. He tries to unlock the briefcase by randomly entering a pin code. The chance to guess the correct combination of 4 dials with 9 possible numbers is 6561.

  Good luck old man.

  The old man tries to unlock it until he reaches to his breaking point. He tries to open by force. The old man created a lot of sound like grunting, sobbing, and cursing in a good way.

  "If you do not open, I will leave you here on this bench." The old man goes, leaving the briefcase, but that is only for show, he goes back as quickly as he can.

  "Please open up, I will destroy you. Yes, destroy you."

  But of course, the briefcase won't open. It will not even understand him. It doesn't have a life.

  The kid beside the old man sits up straight. It seems that the old man wakes up the kid.

  It is a little bit of weird that there is a kid here in the world of adult.

  The old man notices that the kid is looking into him. He is trying to just focus on looking in front. The old man finds it weird to saw a kid alone.

  The old look around the bus stop and it seem they are all alone.

  "What is the problem mister?" The kid said.

  "I can't open my suitcase."

  "Can I see it?"

  "No." The old man said. "What is your name, and what are you doing here alone?"

  "My name is Ram. I'm not alone."

  "So where is your guardian?"

  "I do not have any guardian, but I am not alone. You are here with me."

  The kid seems too smart for an 8-year-old kid. Or maybe he is too young for sarcasm.

  "So you are alone, you don't have any guardian?"

  "Yes. Because I'm on an adventure."

  "Adventure to where?"

  "Adventure to find an adventure. Are you on an adventure Mister?"

  "Kinda."

  "By the way, what is your name?"

  "That is my adventure. I do not know who I am. I'm trying to search who I am."

  "A lot of adults are saying that phrase. You are too old for that."

  "What do you mean?"

  "A lot of adults are lost, trying to find them in this ocean of chaos only to find that they do not have any identity because they are too generic."

  "But I am just trying to search who I am. I don't know anything about myself."

  "Can I come?"

  "No, you're just a boy.”

  "But. But, I can help."

  "Ok, if you could open this, maybe I will let you come with me, in my adventure."

  Ram tried to open it up but no luck. He returns it having watery eyes.

  The old man stands up and walks away, after a few minutes, his stomach starts to talk. He became a little bit hungry since he is walking a lot.

  He saw a restaurant, maybe it is lunchtime since a lot of people are rushing to eat inside.

  "Hey grandpa, let's eat."

  The old man looks on his side and he saw the Ram. Ram is following him the whole time.

  "Please grandpa, I'm hungry."

  "Ok let us go."

  Chapter 8

  They both take a seat outside. The woman in mid-30’s come and gave the old man a menu. The old man can't pick anything. He wishes there are a mashed potato and a banana in the menu. He doesn't recognize any food.

  "Sir, you can have the Chef's choice if you want."

  "Ok, then the Chef's choice. And for the kid..."

  "Sundae," Ram said.

  "Sundae," the old man repeated it.

  The woman goes inside the restaurant.

  "I thought you are hungry. Why sundae?"

  "I am hungry and I want a sundae."

  They serve the food. The chef's choice is good for 2 people. The old man and ram eat like a beggar. For the old man, it seems that this is the best food ever. Well if you eat a mashed potato for 8 years, I believed that any food has a better taste.

  They are now both rubbing their tummy. Then the problem arises in the old man’s head. The hell, he doesn't have any money to pay for the food.

  You know the face of a person that is in deep trouble, his eyes grow bigger. His lips grow pale. The old man looks back to the door. He saw a man that is in all back. It seems that he is a guard in here.

  "Hey Ram, do you have some money?"

  "No. I'm a kid, a kid doesn't have money."

  "Well me too."

  "Let's run," Ram said. "Let's go." Ram runs away.

  "Ram." The old man runs to catch the kid. Two things happen at once. He runs away to the restaurant and he runs to catch Ram.

  Ram runs to a
busy part of the town. The busy part of the street is where a lot of people pass through. When you get to this part of town, you better get moving or somebody will shove or push you. Busy people think that their time is too precious, that waiting for a couple second behind the old man is a total waste of their life.

  The old man is standing somewhere in that part of town. A lot grunting from the people that hate to walk slowly was heard. The old man is trying to find the kid, but he is too small for him to see in the ocean of tall and fat adults.

  The old man just stands there. Thinking if he needs to cross to the other side of the road, or wait here, or just go to anywhere.

  The people that are passing are pushing the old man. Not literally being pushed, but the adults shoulder is colliding to the old man shoulder, which really hurts the old man.

  The old man went to his left. He can't take more shoulder blows. Then he saw Ram. Skip walking to the next corner where a couple of people are just passing through the other side of the road.

  The old man saw that Ram crosses the street, the old man followed Ram to the other side of the road but when he gets there, Ram is out of sight.

  The old man feels that all of the food are now gone, he is hungry again because of this kid. Then somebody pulls the end of his shirt.

  "Hey, Mister," Ram said.

  The old man looks back to see that Ram is just behind him, he doesn't know how that happen but the good thing is now, he is with Ram. Then a question arises, why does he is chasing Ram? The old man doesn't even know Ram personally. Why does he doing this?

  "Ow, we run from the restaurant."

  "Yes, we do," Ram said.

  "I don't have any money. I must find a way of making money."

  "Maybe there is money in your briefcase."

  "I wish there is."

  "I'm sleepy," Ram said. "Let's find a place to sleep. I need to take a nap."

  "Go home, Ram."

  "I can't. I do not have any home."

  "What?"

  "Yes, I run away from home."

  "So, is that the reason why you are sleeping on the bus stop?"

  "Yes."

  "So where do you usually sleep?"

  "Everywhere, let's find a playground. I want the one with a shady tree."

  "Ok. You lead the way, you know this town, I guess."

  They walk to the non-busy place in the town. The building around this place is condominium and apartment. This place is pretty quiet, no one is around the playground, maybe because the adult are in their work and the kids are in their school. Different world but run with the same rule. You need to stay there until it is time to go home. You must follow the people in charge.

  They saw a perfect playground. It has a broad tree that gives a big shade. Ram run in the playground. After 2 runs around the tree, Ram goes inside the mini house under the slide.

  The mini house is cozy. It has a clean carpet floor that seems to be taken care always.

  When the old man looks inside the mini house, Ram is almost peacefully sleeping. He curled up like a baby, he used up his entire energy running, and now he is here recharging his small body. The old man enters the mini house.

  He raises the head of ram slightly and put it in his lap. He asks himself a deep question that doesn't have any answers.

  He does know what he will do here. He does have anyway on how he can find who really is. He doesn't have any idea what to do. Even if he doesn't want to continue this, he can't, he doesn't know where this place is. He doesn't know where the nursing home is.

  He should find a way and stop wondering.

  After an hour, Ram wakes up.

  "Hey, grand pa."

  "Hey, Ram, why aren’t you with your family?"

  "I told you, I'm on an adventure. I will go wherever you go, you might need me."

  "What can you do to help me?"

  "I am brave and curious. You don't know how to be like that."

  Chapter 9

  Ram sleeps again for another hour. The old man doesn't notice that he is also sleeping. He's been taking a nap twice today.

  They say that when a person sleeps always, that means it is depressed. And sometimes they do not recognize that they have this mental illness called depression.

  The old man and Ram go back to the busy part of the town. The sky is blood red because of the sunset.

  They stay in front of an electronic shop. A lot of their displays are large TV. Ram watches on the TV that shows about a yellow creature that is rectangular.

  While the old man watches it, a man behind them seems to talk about something. A lot of people listen to him. Some are crying, and some are raising their hand. This person, that is sitting in the wheelchair stands up, and everyone is clapping and cheering.

  "Ram lets go." The old man said.

  "Ok."

  "I think it should be better if we meet tomorrow. This place is not good for the kid like you. Go back to your parents."

  "But I told you. I run away. We could sleep again to the playground if you want."

  "I don't know."

  They are walking aimlessly again. They are not the only person doing this. A lot of people are walking aimlessly, sometimes they are living aimlessly. They have jobs, family, and money but still they do not have any goal. Don't worry old man, you are not alone.

  He came to a part of the town where there are fountains. They saw a person holding something near his mouth, it is a trumpet. He places a box right in front of his battered shoes, some people doesn't stop in front of him but he continues what he is playing. Some are just standing there and give change that has. Maybe there are just two ways of appreciating. First is by listening and watching. Secondly is by giving them money and just walking away.

  The next person he saw is a man talking through a microphone. He doesn't have any box near his shoes, his shoes are so shiny. He looks like an employee, having this long sleeve and neck tie. No one is even listening or watching on what he does. The old man thinks that the man's performance is not entertaining enough.

  He listens to the man.

  "The end is near. Come with me my friend so we can live in eternal life. Those of you who doesn't believe in God will burn in hell."

  "What do you mean?" The old man said.

  "Look at this man. He wants to live with eternal life. Come to my brother, I will teach you the teaching of God so we can live in eternal life."

  "No, I just want to know what you mean by living in eternal life."

  "Yes, I'm not just teaching you, but also, I will send you there."

  "I have no time for that. I need to find who I am."

  "Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death;"

  The old man speaks the same words with the preacher "But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

  "2 Corinthians 5:8 - We are confident, I say,"

  The old man and the preacher speak the same word.

  "And willing rather be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

  To the old man, it feels like someone in his head is whispering words. He is thinking where this knowledge comes from.

  "And to you old man, you should give up your earthly possession. Since the bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10 - For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils."

  And again, the old man speaks the same words as the preacher "It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."

  The preacher has a warm smile before he come near the old man and hold his hand.

  "Come with me, donate all your belongings with us to be free from evil and you could live your afterlife with our Lord because according to 1 Timothy 6:9 - But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and..."

  They both finish the same sentence. "Harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction."

  The preacher saw that the old man also memorized the verses he is saying.

&
nbsp; "I think you know what I am saying brother, do you?"

  "No."

  The old man walks away, he grabs Ram while he still watching to the man playing his trumpet. They go to a quiet place where only a few people stay. It is a park where a lot of opposite sex go. They are usually young adults. The look in their eyes shows love to each other. They are madly in love with each other’s.

  The old man starts to question again. Where the word does comes from and why do he knows the preacher's words. It seems that someone is whispering to him.

  "What the problem grandpa?"

  "I hear voices. I know what the next word the preacher says."

  "Wow. Does the voice talk to you?"

  "Yes. He is the one that told me go outside and find myself."

  "And that voice also knows bible verses."

  "Yes."

  "Maybe, God is talking to you directly."

  The old man looks at the kid. He is thinking why he would listen to this kid. Well, maybe the kid is correct, but kids in our society don't know a thing. The old man doesn't know a lot of things. He should rely on his instinct.

  "Normal people don't usually hear voices, especially voices from God."

  "Well, how can you explain that?"

  "Maybe I am a mad old man."

  "Are you sure grandpa? Jesus hears the voice of God directly, but that doesn't make him a madman."

  "Well, he is the son of our God."

  "So are we. We are all sons and daughters of God. The difference is that Jesus really does the thing that God want him to do."

  "I don't know. Why do you know a lot of this thing, Ram?"

  "I don't know, maybe because you know it too."

  "I wish it would be easy telling people that I hear God."

  "People would believe the government for lying in front of their face, but they won't believe a person that hears God," Ram said. "Then they are the madman and not you."

  Chapter 10

  "Ok, thanks, Ram."

  "That is nothing grandpa."

  "Are you sure you are not going home?"

  "I told you I run away."

  "It is getting dark. We need to find a place to stay."

  The old man notices that the police are speaking with the homeless. This homeless might be late for the free shelter. Even the old man and Ram are late to get a shelter for a night.