THE PATH OF TOMORROW

[alienescence 1415]

 

 

A STORY COMPOSED BY

 

MOTHER JOSEFINA

 

Published in the year of our Lord, 2010.

 

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BUSHES SWAYED AT THE WIND’S PRESSURE, THE DROPLETS OF RAIN DAMPENING THEIR LEAVES. The children ran through their village gardens, their laughter loud enough for all to hear. A boy of sixteen, Wilfried, was roof climbing, despite being told not to. Upon seeing a few children his age on the ground below, he climbed down, landing on the dirt with a thud. 

 

“I bet none of you could ever climb that high—you're both too weak!”

 

Wilfried proclaimed boldly to the duo, his hands resting on his hips. His smug smile was ever unwavering, which only made him receive frowns from the other two.

 

“We do not care what you think! You are rude, and your words hold little value to us.”

 

Wilfried watched as one of the two spoke up, his eyes trailing after their departing figures. He scoffed, shaking his head as he looked to the sky. It was time for him to return home. The familiar aroma of his mother's stew was delightful, and he was sure to eat quickly so he could retire to his bedroom and read his books.

 

But his mind continued to wander, his book being the least of his worries. With a groan, he threw his book onto a shelf, sitting at his windowsill. The moonlight and stars had him entranced, and he wrote in his journal,

 

“My father asks me what I wish to be, but I can never find the answer. How will I leave everything behind, when it is all I know?"

 

His journal did not have an answer for him, that much was certain. How does one accept change? How does one overcome the fear they hold for the future? That was a thought he had often, but no one to ask. Wilfried decided he would rest for the night, snapping his journal shut.

 

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THE EARLY MORNING’S LIGHT PEAKED THROUGH HIS CURTAINS, AWAKENING HIM FROM HIS SLEEP. Wilfried prepared himself to leave and mingle about the village. The small houses he saw every day, ones that he would soon leave behind; but he wasn’t sure what for.

 

Wilfried climbed the roof of one, eventually making it to the very top. He gazed into the distance, looking over the village until he spotted the nearby chapel. The chapel was a place where people would pray, he knew that much. Though he had never really prayed himself, there was always a first time for everything. The homeowner's shouts interrupted his thoughts, prompting him to scramble off the roof and run down the street to reach the chapel. 

 

As he ran, he heard a soft meow nearby but couldn't pinpoint its source. Stopping in his tracks, he scanned the streets before finally looking up into a tree. There, he saw a cat that appeared to be stuck. Wilfried chuckled and then continued running toward the chapel.

 

The chapel was simple, it had no fancy touch to it. Pushing open the doors, Wilfried noticed that it was empty– likely because those who came to pray were working. His boots tapped softly as he walked down the aisle, reaching the altar. He knelt before it, hands clasped in prayer.

 

“GOD, am I to live in this uncertainty forever? Is there truly a path for me? I’ve always been rash, my words negatively affecting people.”

 

Wilfried’s prayer was short, and his feelings and worries were expressed to God. A sigh escaped his lips, his head hung low as he whispered, “Amen.”

 

Eternity felt far away as a boy; but now that he was considered an adult, it felt too near.

 

His gaze shifted to the altar again, a sense of hope evident in his features. Only God could guide him through the path of his life. What may become of tomorrow, or the years ahead, was in God’s hands. Wilfried rose to his feet and turned to leave the chapel, with a new mindset, and a relationship with God. 

 

As he walked home, he noticed the same cat from earlier lying on the ground by the tree it had been stuck in. He kneeled beside the cat, noticing its injured paw. Wilfried tore a piece of his vest off, wrapping it around the cat’s paw as a makeshift cast. He knew that his neighbor loved animals, so he carried the cat to his neighbor’s house where it would be taken care of.

 

A noble action that Wilfried had never contemplated performing in the past, one that showed a side of him he had yet to discover.

 

The uncertainty that once plagued Wilfried’s mind seemed so distant as the evening neared. With renewed faith, he walked his path, leaving behind the burden of fears that once loomed over him constantly. Those worries, which had seemed insurmountable in the past, were left behind him.

 

THE END.

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[juliaINC 592]

Wilhelmina von Brandthof reclined in a grand chair, yawning tiredly as the soft oranges and pinks of dawn surrendered to the deep blues of noon. She read aloud, her bony finger tracing each line of text with deliberate care. “What a pleasant story,” She remarked, rising from her chair with a newfound vigor that she carried throughout the day.

Edited January 2, 2025 by juliaINC