7th Day Story
The story teller was gray now and had read for years to the
children of this enchanted place..
We have all come this day to celebrate the birth and life
of a wondrous man.
Freely he read from his secret book of tales.
Princes and dragons reaching the edge of the globe
for the love of a princess.
Elves wandering the forest in a magical trance of
kindness and lovely creations..
Darkness from the depths of Sheol, lifeless bodies
wandering the surface world, haunted and desperate.
The fondest of all was the story read this last day.
the 7Th day. Sunday. The day set aside for this story
that fell on one heart indeed and resides there still.
This man of gray a philosopher it may seem, truth and kindness
could be seen behind his spectacles, rounded with a scratch on
the left lens. The gold worn and dulled in the center from pushing
them back into place. Bearded and hair draped over his shoulders, a
slender build and thick hardened hands callused on the tips from
his classical mandolin. The day began as the sun cracked first light
over the horizon. No body really knew what consumed his
days, before he'd sit to read from the book of tales.
The book, was the same tattered leather cover for years and not
too thick..Odd.. because never was a story the same as the one before..
This day of celebration had followed a special day indeed. the 7Th day
as mentioned before, he had insisted we celebrate his birth when
the thief of the night came for him...The 7Th day story as it now
is referred, had changed the hardened heart, on that day was a new
comer to the gathering. He was soiled and tarnished. Sarcasm frowning
from his face with no notice..
---The 7Th day story---
There is something sacred
not known to all, or even a few
it comes with a breath drawn and
gives life where there was none
It is something sought after
hunted for years where time is not
relative..
Of which dreams are based
Entire worlds are created from its
inspiration..
Kindness, gentle gesture fondly
reaching out and enabling peace
to reside..It had come at first sight
on that day..(the story teller clearing his
voice as if to resist tears)..
The young man had been toiling over the land
on days end for the rain was coming swiftly
and the ground needed attention before the
wetness ruined the crops..
Reaching the end of his strength and the end
of his task, the gentle man with hardened hands
made his way off the land back again to his
shelter where he at night could lay his head.
Waiting for him, cold weary and without shoes
a young girl a maiden of fair beauty not seen
in even his wildest imagination..She sat quietly
as if to wait for him knowing of his return..
Without a word spoken he entered the place
where he could lay his head, returning quickly
with warmed water and a shirt to clean her traveled
feet. he had made slippers it would seem from sheep's
wool, he had saved them for the day he finished his
labor on the land, as that day would be a celebration.
He gently placed the girls tender feet in the slippers.
With a soft expression he noticed her hands shaking
up her arms and trembling consumed her..The rain had
now began to fall, quietly at first, growing slowly to
a roar of a storm..He quickly picked her up from where
she sat, feeling his bones not at all, for her presence
had become refreshing as the sun's warmth...He carried
her inside, and laid her down, touched her forehead with
the back of his hand, for it was known that the young
mans hands were blistered and like a stone on the palm,
embarrassed yet desiring to comfort her he used the back
soft and clean to gently express compassion...
She fell into a peaceful sleep, for the night had started
and turned to morning, the rain fell in same, the night
then came once again, and the girl slept away her pain.
When she finally awoke the young man had prepared a plate of
food and a note, he had left for town to fetch her proper
wears, as her clothing was tattered and worn..
The rain had stopped and the sky brilliant blue deep as if
to be blue for the first time..He ran without sense of stopping
until he reached the town..Asking the store keeper for help, as
he knew not the wears of such beauty or how to be pleasing..
Content, he sprinted without tiring back to the
place he could rest his head.. The girl was pleased
and had partaken of the food left for her..She
noticed her feet clean and hair brushed, peace
fell upon her as she had never known..She had gone
outside just as the young man had began up the path
leading to his land..
It came to be that love had been witnessed on that
day at that moment, and it was at first sight and
it was decent, kind and adoring.As she met him
at the edge of the flattened walk he noticed her
eyes first, as they seemed to be deep and vast as the
glorious fields adorned with the warmth of the sun, he became
lost in them and so it was, he was moved
by her beauty once more.
For it was known that the young man had a heart sincere
through and through, the land he tilled he did every year
for the one that would come..it was as certain as the rising
and setting of the sun, his heart was a friend of beauty..
It was also known that the young man was full of sadness,
with no cause he remained alone in his humbled home and
regarded himself as not worthy..
Time would reveal that their love at first sight would
be their love at first sight every day for all their remaining
days..
As two they were lost and wandered through life with no direction
or hope..
By the grace of God they had been allowed to cross paths
it became what is known in the book of old as Agape.
It is the love of Christ..It is divine and sacred
it is this love that inspired the young man to marry the
girl that had been waiting for him on that day..She had
saved him from himself and given him peace as he in turn
gave freely to her..
The story teller softly closed his tattered leather book and
simply said "it is finished"
That night would be the last breath drawn by this wonder of
a man, seeming as a mystery to the town, but delightfully
pleasing and compassionate with no regard for self..
So as we gathered to celebrate his life as he had requested
the boy with the hardened heart made his way into the man's
dwelling.. A humble one room mansion, with elaborate decor
majestic and in the center of the wall above his bed where he
had once laid his head, was a
portrait of a princess or maiden, a young girl and a beautiful
bride, the portrait seemed to change with the change in angle of
its view. Atop the bed was the story tellers bonded leather book
tied with a silk ribbon..The boy intrigued by the 7Th day story
was curious to read further..As he opened the book he was startled
taken back, he backed away from the bed and fell over a stool. As
he fell back the book was thrown out the door and onto the garden
path lined with fresh lilies..The very last page of this book read from
for days on end for years past, was the only page that had any words..
And the words simply read...
All my days before her were dark and losing worth
Her smile and soft golden eyes, her voice and tender words
entered my heart and gave me life..She inspired
every story and fulfilled every dream..From these
pages i have read of our life together..I have gone
now to find her again amongst the one who sent her..
For it was her love that saved me and there are no
words to bring that to life...
The heart of the boy hardened had began to beat again...
He asked the townspeople if he could keep the book and
it was agreed that he should keep it for all his years
until his love at first sight brings him life...
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