Alone

‘Crack!’ He slumped to the ground, bleeding profusely, his life slowly draining out of his body. His supposed ‘friends’ made good their escape with his wealth. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he watched them run away, his hand clasped to his chest.

So, these were the people who had sworn eternal friendship. The ones he had thought would end his life of loneliness. But how could he ever have hoped that one day he wouldn’t have to yearn for friendship, but instead could gloat about his independence from loneliness? How could he have been so blind so as not to have noticed those demeaning looks in their eyes, that he remembered so clearly now? He had been better off living his former, lonely life. At least he hadn’t been betrayed by anyone then. He wouldn’t have felt so tortured, so deeply hurt now. It was as if he was finally paying a price, a terrible one for his ungratefulness and illogical yearning for comradeship. He knew now that one was always alone- always. In birth, in life and in death.

Then, suddenly, a voice from within spoke up. That’s not true, it said. You aren’t ever alone. God is always there. An abrupt realization hit him. That’s right, he thought. God is always there. He hadn’t ever paid any attention to that fact. He had always been engrossed, even content with sympathizing with himself for not having friends. But- that voice! It was right. God was there all the time. He wasn’t alone after all.

An acute wave of pain shot suddenly up his body- he didn’t have much time left. A terrible fear of the journey he was going to set off on, took hold of him, but the thought of his real Friend brought a smile to his face. When he finally died, it was with that smile. For though he was alone in body, he was definitely not alone in spirit.