I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS
By
Michael Edwin Q.
STOP IT
By
Michael Edwin Q.
Chris positioned himself in the
corner of one of the high-back wooden benches in the main hall of the Denver train station.
With enough back support, he could sleep sitting up while waiting for the
morning train. There were a few other travelers scattered about the hall trying
to do the same. But no one could sleep. A young couple seated alone in the
middle of the hall was in the midst of warfare – a spat, an argument, a
quarrel. Their voices were loud, and echoed off the high ceiling, the marble
floor, and the plaster walls. No one could sleep.
With closed eyes, Chris listened
to every venomous word they threw at each other. They hurled blame,
accusations, and called each other rude names. Clearly, each of their goals was
to hurt the other.
Chris rose and kicked his gym bag
under the bench to hide it. He walked and stood before the couple. They stopped
arguing and looked at him. The old man’s eyes were wide and unblinking. They
sat silently with their eyes fixed on him. His body shook violently as if he
were going into convolutions.
“Stop it! Just stop it!” he
shouted. “Can’t you see what you’re doing? Why are you trying to hurt each
other? If you hate each other that much, shake hands and go your separate ways.
But don’t attack each other, clawing and biting like two wild animals!”
“But…” whimpered the young woman.
“But you love each other,”
bellowed Chris. “Well then, act like it! If it’s love, then treat it so. Treat
it as what it is – something rare and beautiful. Do you know how many people go
an entire lifetime never knowing love? Or they receive it too late or lose it
soon? Love isn’t free. You pay for it everyday with every breath! Either part
from each other or cling to each other! But, stop it! Just stop it!”
They remained silent as they
watched him walk away. Chris sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. He heard
them whispering.
Had his words made a difference?
It didn’t matter to him. He’d offered them the gospel according to Christopher
Goodman. He’d planted a seed. Now it was up to them to decide what to do with
it.
END
