Stare into the horizon
He is anxious. He knows the story is about to begin. Being 15 with no real life experiences, these stories are the only thing he has.
He didn’t care for playing in the yard. He spent any free time he had hunched over his notebook. Writing and re-reading every story his father would tell him, always trying to decipher a meaning.
The sun was slowly setting.
‘Look at the horizon.’
The son eagerly looked at the sunset, hoping to spot the obvious. Like a painter, his eyes feverously scanned the canvas, moving ever so closely to the horizon.
‘What color do you see?’ his father said.
‘Orange? No. dark red…I think. Wait, it’s like a mix of orange, yellow, and dark red, right?’ he said, looking up to his father for approval.
‘Now, look straight up into the sky, what color do you see now?’
He looks up and proudly says, ‘Blue.’
His father nods with approval.
‘The future is uncertain, similar to the colors in the horizon. You can never tell exactly what’s in store for you. You can only guess and hope for the best. And for your current situation? Well, you can always tell by just looking straight up into the sky.’
—
My father passed away a few years ago. As I sit here looking at my notebook, I can’t help but think about that moment. I was clueless of his message, I still am.
I go outside to get some clarity. Look up and all I see is black.