The Curse

15

The Curse

Robert Langley, a defense lawyer in his mid-thirties, picked up the pace as he dashed through the crowded city streets, the gloomy, overcast afternoon reflecting his frazzled state. He was late for a meeting, his mind preoccupied with an upcoming case, which is why he barely noticed the old woman until he collided with her, sending her basket of colorful scarves scattering across the sidewalk.

"Watch where you're going!" Her voice was low, threatening. You didn't see me or what? No, I guess not, and that's because you, and those like you, don't see the little people. The invisible ones like me. But today that will change for I've decided to remove your blindness. To open your eyes once and for all."

Robert, with his balance recovered, scoffed as he watched her pick up the scarves. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Mean? Oh, you'll find out soon enough. This is when her bony fingers, of her left hand, clamped down on one of Robert's wrists which caused him to yank his arm away.

"Hey, what the heck did you just do?" Robert yelled, trying to shake off the creepy feeling of cold that she had just injected into him with her touch."

"I opened your eyes like I said I would."

"You're crazy."

"No, not at all, but in time you'll think that you are when the curse calls forth Mother Nature to do its bidding. You'll never know what caused her wrath to pour out. Maybe it was a thought, or perhaps a word. Either way, you'll regret it when she does."

"Like I already do, you insane old hag. Someone should put you into a cage, then dump you into a hole where nobody can find you," Robert muttered as he hurried away, her words echoing ominously in his mind.

*****

The next morning, Robert awoke and went about his per-work routine, trying to shake off the unsettling encounter which he managed to do by the time he exited the building with his black briefcase in hand. It was here, after taking a few steps down the sidewalk, he glanced up at the sky then thought.

Well, it looks like it could rain today. I should've brought an umbrella.

This is when the sky went dark. Thick, menacing clouds rolled in, casting a shadow over the city, which in turn caused a fierce wind to whip through the streets. This happened just seconds before a torrential downpour began.

And as the trees bent and cracked, and windows shattered, Robert stumbled backward then turned and raced towards his apartment building. The storm seemed to focus on him as he stumbled along, the rain hammered against the windows and sidewalk with a ferocity he had never witnessed before. The thunder rumbled overhead as lightning flashed across the sky with blinding intensity. It hit a car next to him. Struck a tree near the steps that he was racing up. And once inside, Robert watched in horror as the streets flooded within minutes, cars floating and crashing into each other.

This is when he recalled what the woman had said. But it can't be real, he thought, water dripping from his drenched clothing. It just can't be. But what if it is? What if I caused this? He wiped the water out of his eyes and continued to watch the calamity taking place outside and wondered if it will ever end.

*****

As the days passed, and Robert found himself living in constant fear of the weather. He avoided speaking and thinking of it as much as possible. He became obsessed with what the woman had said on that day and also where to find her. Before the collision with her had taken place he had noticed she was always hanging around that general area selling her wares and now she was nowhere to be found. She had just vanished. Well, this is unacceptable, Robert thought. She has to be found. She just has to be, but where do I begin? Oh, I know. I'll start where we first met. I'll ask around. Someone will know where she is.

But no one did. However, there was one, a young boy, who told him of another woman who might know where she could be found. This other woman was located in a run-down part of town of which he discovered when he located her. And upon doing so, he asked, "Can you help me?"

The old woman looked at him.

"With what?"

"With finding someone." He then gave her a description of who he was searching for.

She thought a moment, then said, "And why do you want to find her?"

"I have to talk to her," Robert said.

"About what?"

"Something personal. Unfinished business."

"Oh, I see."

The woman carefully examined him.

"You have a dark aura surrounding you. She cursed you, didn't she? I see her handiwork upon you."

"Yeah. Do you know where I can find her?"

"I do. But you should forget about her. Madame Youbain is a gypsy who dabbles in dark magic, the darkest of kinds. She is not to be messed with, so stay away."

"But I can't. I need to know where she is. It's a matter of life or death. Please tell me where she is."

"And I would, if I knew that no one was listening, but people always are. So, I dare not say anything when it comes to her. But maybe, this might help," the old woman said, then handed him a small note. "Now, go away. I have things to do. Stay safe."

"I will. And thank you. Thank you so very much," Robert said, then followed the directions on the note which eventually guided him to a small alley where a dim light flickered from a tent adorned with colorful fabrics and odd trinkets. The overall look of what he was seeing gave off a strong sense of foreboding. He didn't want to go any further, but he had to. It had to end here. These words echoed in his mind as he slowly began to walk towards the tent all the while wondering if the ending, that he was looking for, would end up being his own."

*****

When the flap of the tent opened, just seconds after he had called out to her, his heart skipped a beat. Then after she had emerged, with those same piercing eyes, his heart began to lightly pound. And when she took a step towards him, he took a step back and said, "What occurred was an accident. I didn't mean for it to happen."

"And therefore, you have come to apologize to Madame Youbain for your rudeness, is that right?"

"If that's what it will take to get rid of it," Robert said.

She smiled.

"Then by all means do that. Let's hear your apology. I'm all ears."

"And I bet that you are. You're loving it. Reveling in it."

"No, no I'm not, mister high on the mountain, too high to see anyone, you have it all wrong. This isn't about me, it's about you. About seeing us, and now you do don't you. In fact, I have become the most important person in your life. So then, get on with it. I'm waiting."

"And I will."

"But it's hard for you, isn't it?" Youbain asked. "Humbling your mighty self to a nobody. You've never done that have you? No, you haven't."

"As if you know anything about me," Robert hit back. "And here's your apology. I'm sorry okay. I'm really sorry. Now, lift the curse. It must be removed."

Madame Youbain studied him for a few moments, then shook her head and said, "You know, apologies are just words. It takes time to learn a lesson. It takes effort. Real effort. Now, go and embrace this truth. And if indeed you learn enough, then I promise that the curse will fade away."

"But I can't leave. Not until the curse is gone. Gone right now. You have to dispel it. I can't live this way," Robert said.

"Oh, but you must," she countered. "You have a lesson to learn."

"And I've already learned it. Trust me I have. What more can I do to convince you of this? What more? Tell me and I'll do it"

"Of which, I already have," she said. "Now, be gone or I'll make the curse stronger. Much, much stronger."

*****

Determined to break loose from the invisible yoke that had been placed on him, Robert threw himself into helping others. He volunteered at shelters and even aided in clean-up efforts no matter what they were, but still, the whammy remained as Robert discovered on one frigid winter morning when he, trying to find a way around the curse, commented to a colleague about the freezing temperatures. He said, "perfect weather for Frosty the Snowman if it would, you know what?" Well, Mother Nature knew what. She started by darkening the sky; then came the heavy snow.

A snow, that within hours, smothered the city. Roads became death traps, power lines snapped under the weight of it, and thick layers of ice was everywhere on everything. There was no escaping it. The city became motionless. Robert found himself trapped in his apartment, the cold seeping through the walls. He tried his best to stay warm and prevent the polar air from coming in, but nothing worked. Nothing. It was on a quest to get under his skin and dig deep into the bones. Turn him into a frozen sculpture. Drain the life right out of him. Robert refused to go down. He piled on the blankets and shivered beneath them.

He also spent days isolated, just him and his thoughts, it was excruciating. He rationed what little food he had. The blizzard seemed unending, the snow piling higher and higher. When the storm did subside, Robert emerged to find a city transformed into a frozen wasteland. Trees and cars were buried, and the streets were silent and deserted.

*****

Spring brought a brief respite, but Robert remained vigilant, careful. He had learned to fear the power of his words and thoughts and the destructive forces they could unleash. But despite his best efforts, another slip of the tongue brought about a new catastrophe. He just wasn't thinking. He said to a friend while they were out walking.

"It's been very windy today." And that's when the sky darkened, and the wind picked up. Within minutes, a funnel cloud formed, touching down with a roar that shook the ground. Robert and his friend raced to safety as the tornado tore through the city, reducing buildings to rubble and scattering debris for miles. Robert's home was among the casualties, leaving him homeless and destitute. The once proud lawyer now found himself reliant on the kindness of strangers, moving from shelter to shelter as he tried to rebuild his shattered life.

*****

Summer arrived, bringing with it the hope of gentler weather. But on one hot day, Robert brought about more destruction. It was a quick, thoughtless blurting of words that did it. He said, to a volunteer at a shelter he was working at, "Boy, we should've grabbed some ice when we were in the store. It's sure a hot one today, but the storm coming in this afternoon should cool us off real good."

And no sooner did he speak these words did the sky turn an eerie green. The air grew thick and still, then, with a sudden roar, hailstones the size of baseballs began to fall. The hail pummeled the city, shattering windows, denting cars, and injured anyone caught in it. Robert watched in terror as the roof of the shelter almost caved in. Seeing this, he got an urge to help and help he did.

He sprinted out of the shelter and began to guide people to safety using whatever he could shield them with. This went on until the relentless onslaught of hail subsided. It seemed like an eternity before it did. When all was said and done, the city, once again, was left battered and bruised. The destruction was extensive, and Robert felt the weight of guilt heavier than ever.

*****

As summer continued, Robert remained guarded, but the curse had a way of catching him when he least expected it. During a conversation at a rebuilding site, he commented on the pleasant weather. He figured that what he was about to say wouldn't trigger anything, but he was wrong. Dead wrong. He said, "I do hope that it stays like this, nice and mild. I don't much like the heat. Even less so if it goes on for days."

This is when he noticed it was getting hotter by the minute. A feeling of despair took him over as the temperature continued to rise, climbing to dangerous levels.

The city sweltered under the oppressive heat, and soon, water supplies dwindled, and power grids struggled to keep up with the demand for air conditioning. People suffered from heat exhaustion, and fires broke out in the dry conditions.

Robert joined efforts to distribute water and help those most affected by the heatwave. The intense heat lasted for days, pushing the city to its limits. It was only through the collective effort of the community that they managed to prevent greater disaster.

*****

Autumn brought a semblance of relief, but the curse was unforgiving. On one evening, Robert found himself worrying aloud about a weather forecast that he had heard. It was pertaining to the upcoming week. He said, to a neighbor, "I do hope that we don't get too much, you know, drinking water, next week? The city's still working hard to recover from everything else."

Mother Nature would not be fooled. She brought the rain. It started as a trickle, then a steady downpour, and not much time, after that, it escalated into a deluge. Rivers overflowed, and the city's drainage systems were overwhelmed. Streets turned into rivers, and homes were submerged. Robert found himself in the midst of another disaster, helping to evacuate people from their flooded homes.

The floodwaters rose at a quick pace forcing Robert, without care for his own safety, to wade through waist-deep water to reach those in need. He worked to the point of exhaustion, trying to minimize the damage and save as many lives as possible.

*****

As autumn continued, Robert remained ever cautious. But one evening, he found himself commenting on the beauty of a sunset to a friend. "What a beautiful thing it is. It's perfect. And not a cloud in the sky either," he said.

That's when the sky darkened, and the wind picked up. Lightning began to flash, and thunder rumbled. The lightning storm that followed was like the first one that he had witnessed when the curse revealed itself to him, but this one was far more intense, far more brutal, far more frightening. Bolts of electricity struck with terrifying frequency, setting trees and buildings on fire.

Robert and his friend, darting one way, then another, managed to avoid being struck as they ran for cover. The city lit up with the fires started by the persistent lightning. Emergency services were stretched thin, and Robert joined in efforts to control the fires and help those affected by the strikes.

*****

Winter approached, and Robert hoped that the colder weather might bring some relief. But one day, while discussing the forecast with a colleague, a subject he was trying desperately to avoid, he let slip a comment about the dry conditions.

"Yeah, you might be right," he said. "It's kind of odd how dry it is for this time of the year. Dry and dusty. By the way, windy, I meant to say Wendell, says howdy."

And so did Mother Nature. She said hello too by unleashing a wind that began to howl. A wind that gathered speed, and along with it, a huge amount of dust from the ground. The thick cloud, of this very fine material, swept through the city, reducing visibility to almost nothing, and clogging the air with these particles. People struggled to breathe, and machinery grounded to a halt as the dust infiltrated every crevice.

Robert wrapped a scarf around his face and joined efforts to distribute masks and help those most affected by the storm. The city took days for the air to clear and for life to return to a semblance of normalcy.

*****

Despite all of the devastation, and the never-ending cycle of disasters, Robert remained hopeful that one day this curse would be lifted. He continued his efforts to help those affected by what he had caused. He assisted, as much as one can, in the rebuilding efforts that were taking place, as well as, providing support to those who were struggling to get by. And while doing so, he began to understand the deeper meaning behind the curse. He began to learn about empathy, humility, and the importance of community.

One day, while helping to rebuild a community center damaged by the tornado, Robert looked up at the sky and noticed it was clear. He was happy to see it, but then he thought, for just a split second, it's hiding, waiting for me to screw up. Well, no more. I'll find a way to stop killing and hurting people. Maybe, I'll move to an island somewhere. Get away from everyone. "And what do you think Tom?"

"About what? Tom asked.

"About living on a deserted island. Would you do it?"

"No, I've got a life here. This is my community. I wouldn't want to leave it."

"But what if it helped the community by leaving?"

"Then sure, I'd do it," Tom said. "And is that what you're thinking on doing? Are you planning to go and take up residence on an island and leave me and my wife and my kids. Nah, you wouldn't do that. Besides, the city needs you too much. I mean, look around. This has to be one of the unluckiest places in the world given all the bad things that's happened. It's unnatural how many. So yeah, Robert, we need you. You can't go anywhere. You got to stay."

"And I will, if I can, but I fear the luck of this city isn't going to change if I stay. The dark clouds are going to keep coming."

"Which is okay," Tom said. "We just need to stick together, that's all."

"And we will, my friend. That's what we do. That's what the whole community will do. We all have to. We have to because everyone counts. Every single person. We all matter Tom. From the big to the small, from the rich to the poor, we all matter. And there are no exceptions."

This is when dark clouds appeared on the horizon and swiftly turned into a powerful tempest of enormous size that began to move in Robert's direction. Fear engulfed his heart. What did I say this time? Robert wondered. No, please no more. Please, I beg you, have mercy. Not for me, but for them. The people. For the community. They can't take anymore. Leave them be."

"As you wish," a voice, deep in Robert's head, whispered back. "Your lesson is finished." And that's when the storm stopped, then dispersed, leaving behind a bright, clear sky. Robert in that moment, to his utter astonishment, felt a massive weight lift from his shoulders. He was free. Free as a bird. Free like never before.

*****

With the curse now gone, Robert, in the days that came after, took time on a few occasions to ponder over the many things that he had gone through. And, as he did, he realized how much he had changed. He just never imagined that such a huge transformation within him could take place. The curse had taught him so much. It taught him the true value of a person, and also, how he, himself, was part of something far larger.

These were some of the lessons, of many others, that he would never forget. And it was all thanks to Madame Youbain who he never saw again, but this didn't matter in the least for she was still lingering about. She was in every storm cloud he saw, every act of kindness he witnessed, and every moment of gratitude that followed. She was there, no doubt about it. Just standing and glaring at him with those eyes just before she uttered the curse.

A curse, that in the end, guided him to a better Robert; to a greater understanding of the meaning of life; and he was thankful for that. And with every clear, sunny day; or cloudy day; or rainy day; or snowy day; that came after the curse was gone, he was reminded of these lessons and how significant the little people of the world truly are. The most important lesson of them all.

The End