Fear By Tomidrix

Once upon a time in a distant land far across seas and mountains, across rivers and hills in a small inconspicuous town was a beautiful garden, in this garden lived two lilies, one was Annie and the other was Ariel both were extremely gorgeous and ornamental. But Annie had a problem, she was always sad, temperamental and angry at just about anything, she grumbles and complains every time. She was so bitter that she shrugs and waves off insects from settling on her petals. Ariel was very concerned about his friend, whenever he tries to offer help, she shuns, insult and humiliate him. But he took it upon himself to see Annie get better.

Ariel was a music lover, he spent more of his time composing and singing, and most times dancing to his songs. Since he had no other thing to offer Annie, Ariel decided to sing his songs to her. So everyday from morning to noon Ariel would listen to different birds in the garden sing in their melodious voices, insects chirping away  and later in the evening he would compose and sing the most beautiful song to Annie. Ariel continued at this despite the insults and abusive remarks he got from Annie, even other flowers in the garden complained of his disturbance, but they never fazed or dissuaded him, he kept listening and he kept singing.

One evening, after singing an impressive song about the sky and its freedom about the sea and its vastness Annie said to Ariel  “can’t you stop disturbing yourself? Seeing as your efforts are futile, aren’t you getting tired or irritated already?”

“I would only stop when the owner of this beautiful universe inspires the birds to sing to me about defeat and failure” he replied.

“You are very annoying Ariel…but kind too and you are a good friend…can i tell you something?”  “why not, o charming lily, i am all ears or let me say all pores”

“Do you know why i get bitter most times?…. Ariel, am scared… I bottle up so much fear within me its choking me up, and I can only show strength by being stern and lashing out at anyone, I’m so wrapped up in my head that most times I feel am becoming someone else”  “What are you scared of exactly Annie?”  ” A lot Ariel a lot, what if the rain stop and never falls again, what if i don’t get enough nutrient from the soil again, what if the sun stops shinning, what if the gardener stops watering us, what if my system starts to react negatively to photosynthesis, what if i loose my beauty, what if i don’t look attractive to people, what if i loose my pleasant smell,What if i never made anyone smile, what if i get uprooted immaturely, what if i die without getting plucked, what if i get plucked and tossed away, these things scare me and there is this part of me that tells me its really going to happen”

“Is that all?” Ariel asked

“What do you mean?, isn’t that enough to scare any plant? Why did i have to open up to you in the first place? I should have known you were only going to mock me ” she replied angrily

“Oh i’m sorry Annie, i didn’t mean to annoy you, i just wanted to know if that’s all of your worries… Should i shock you Annie, Do you know that these same thoughts and fear go around in my mind too?”

“What?!… You too? That’s not possible; you are just saying that to get to me, you are different from me Ariel, you are always happy, you sing, you even dance at time, and the insects and birds like you,even the other flowers do but i know they would deny it. So how is it possible you have fears within you?

Ariel smiled and said “i am always happy because despite having these fears, i never entertain them or let them paralyze me or give them access to toy with my emotions… Do you know why i listen to birds? Those creatures have a deep understanding of things, they have seen the vastness of the sea, they have beheld the expanse of land, they have felt the current of the wind, they have caressed the clouds with their wings, They neither plant or set traps and yet they don’t starve, their freedom is so obvious and pronounced that they have millions of hectares in the skies to play, but do you that these creatures also have fears? What if they fall prey to predators of their species, what if they end up in the net of fowlers, what if their wings fail on flight, what if they loose their feathers, what if they lost their friends and families and end up lonely in the skies, what if they can’t fly again, what if the beautiful ones amongst them loose their colorful feathers, but despite these, when they sing they speak of Beauty, of freedom,of the awesomeness of the owner of the universe, all they do is give thanks, they had never for once sang about their fears or troubles and that’s why they are always happy, free and vibrant except for those who live in the shadows of their fears…

So Annie that’s exactly why i sing, instead of pining and whining about my fears i channel them to thanking the owner of this universe for being faithful for today again by speaking of his awesomeness and the beauty of his creations, i don’t look forward to tomorrow nor do i look back at my fears, i just live today based on his grace, and for the fact that any of my fears haven’t come to reality means he had been faithful. So i thank him for today and hope for tomorrow”

“Wow Ariel that’s wonderful… But still Ariel i can’t sing, how would i channel my  fears to song?”

“Oh! Charming Annie its not the song that matter, its the act of being grateful, whenever these fears come, just think of one thing you need to be grateful for,at the things you enjoy presently and be it in songs or words or just your waving, express your thanks”

*silence*

“Uhm Ariel?”

“Yes Annie”

“Do you know what i just felt now and still feeling?”

“No, why don’t you tell me”

“Ariel i just felt this peace and serenity within me, so overwhelming that my fears and doubts looks petty and small compare to it, i feel like jumping for joy, i feel like shaking my stem and flowers in exhilaration till my root come off, Ariel i have never felt this way ever”

“That’s exactly what i am talking about Annie”  “Ariel?”  “I’m right here beautiful one”  “Does the owner of this universe have a name?”

“Of course He does, the birds call him different names depending on what he did for them or how they enjoy His awesomeness, but His universal name amongst them is God”

“Then i think i ought to say this : God thank you for everything, my fears and this new found peace and God thank you for sending Ariel to make me happy and i promise that as from now on i will always be thankful no matter my fears”

Ariel smiled and Annie smiled back, for the first time she was truly happy, her fears behind her or lets say underneath her.

Author: Tomidrix