His patience was rewarded with an answer he was almost expecting. It was not what he wanted, not even close, but he knew from the beginning he would not be able to pull anything else from her. And strangely, he found he was pleased with it.
He slowly nodded at the end of her short speech and pondered over his options quickly in his mind. He could leave, and he probably should, and continue out of the forest and finish up his day in the quiet company of loneliness. Or he could stay, speak to her further and inquire about so many of the things about her he wished could be clarified.
His mind made a snap decision in the blink of his glowing eye, and a wry smile curled on his lips. "Neither of us know whether it does truly matter, my knowing. It simply hangs on your definition of 'to matter'. Perhaps now it doesn't, but some time in your future it will, and vice versa. But to think about it profoundly, nothing ever matters. We do things, learn things, see things, teach things, run the coarse of our always-too-short lives and die. And wherever we did, read, learned, told, saw, heard, it no longer matters to anyone. Not truly. Life is just a short game we play with whatever God there may be. And there is no way of winning." His shoulders gave a slight shrug as he mindlessly spoke on.
"Whatever you do with yourself only ever matters to you, because no one else really cares. And why should they?" He looked at her again.
"Now I take my long awaited leave dear madam." He bowed his clouded head slowly, the smallest star sliding in and out of place with the action, and then turned on his heel gracefully. Disappearing into the darkness from which he came.
He slowly nodded at the end of her short speech and pondered over his options quickly in his mind. He could leave, and he probably should, and continue out of the forest and finish up his day in the quiet company of loneliness. Or he could stay, speak to her further and inquire about so many of the things about her he wished could be clarified.
His mind made a snap decision in the blink of his glowing eye, and a wry smile curled on his lips. "Neither of us know whether it does truly matter, my knowing. It simply hangs on your definition of 'to matter'. Perhaps now it doesn't, but some time in your future it will, and vice versa. But to think about it profoundly, nothing ever matters. We do things, learn things, see things, teach things, run the coarse of our always-too-short lives and die. And wherever we did, read, learned, told, saw, heard, it no longer matters to anyone. Not truly. Life is just a short game we play with whatever God there may be. And there is no way of winning." His shoulders gave a slight shrug as he mindlessly spoke on.
"Whatever you do with yourself only ever matters to you, because no one else really cares. And why should they?" He looked at her again.
"Now I take my long awaited leave dear madam." He bowed his clouded head slowly, the smallest star sliding in and out of place with the action, and then turned on his heel gracefully. Disappearing into the darkness from which he came.
