A man and a woman stood facing one another. From a distance one could sense the dismay and disappointment evident from their bearing had to do with tainted love. Standing far removed where one would normally be as an observer, you could see tears rolling down their cheeks and plopping unceremoniously onto the parched earth. Some said their discussion looked heated, while others felt their words were born from passion rather than violence or aggression.
It was only when the woman held out her hand to the man that the ripples of emotion reached the bystanders - as if a stone was thrown into a calm lake, the ripples circling out until the energy faded into itself. In the woman’s hand was a smooth, brown pebble.
As the breeze picked up it was seeded with the woman’s words, carrying them like winged hopes to the bystanders.
And this is what she said:
“Lover of mine, throughout the years I have come to know the ripples in your mind, the ripples of pleasure through your body as we made love as well as the ripples you’ve caused in my soul and I in yours. I have loved and hated and loved you again. I have resurrected you only to murder you once more so that I could breathe life into your lifeless body yet again.
In fact, we have done this in turn to one another often enough. I stand in front of you today to say that I want no more of this sweet madness. No more of this intoxicating and alluring cycle.
In my hand I have your heart. So delicate in nature but it’s softness didn’t stop me from trampling all over it. When it was your turn to do with my heart as you wish – you tore its flesh apart. Bit by bit.
Yesterday, I lashed out against the world because of the pain I allowed you to cause me.
Today, however, I rejoice.
Take this pebble I have tenderized with my tears, my essence and my naivety.
Take back your heart and be gentle with it until you are ready to give it up for love again.
I’m grateful for our time together but I’m done.
We’ve paid our karmic debt to one another.”
With those words the woman pressed the pebble into the man’s outstretched hand,
just in time before she was lifted by the gentle breeze.
Some bystanders say the woman disappeared into thin air while others swear they saw a tiny butterfly being carried away into the distance, dancing on the wind.
They do agree on one thing though - that the man was left smiling as he gently held the pebble against his chest.
Needless to say, they were wondering why on earth was he so happy to have received a lifeless rock? If only they knew…
