Short Story- Sejal, 16
Arthur was a simple man, he liked two things in life. Work and work. Waking up wasn't a tedious task for him as it followed a greatly precise and detailed routine.
The day comprised of working as a highly-esteemed banker from 7 am to 10 pm; for being highly productive was the number one motive in his life, well after earning truckloads of money.
He was married to his job and let me tell you, the union between him and his work turned him into an atrociously dull and monotonous man. Simple pleasures such as snacking on ice-cream engulfed with a guilty layer of chocolate or singing whole-heartedly to ancient classics didn't seem to falter his mechanical life.
The dark circles and wrinkles contouring his face were an understatement to the stress and pressure he dealt with, furthermore, sleep was his biggest enemy. Thoughts such as ‘ what if I had proposed a better deal’ or ‘what if I had bought 1 coffee instead of 2 to save the 6.99 dollars’ or ‘they will probably not take my offer’ crowded his mind like a swarm of restless bees.
Not a shred of hope nor happiness consumed him, but that was none of Arthurs’s concern as he was certainly living a normal life. Wasn't he?
One thing he strongly believed in was to look at the bigger picture, to maintain stability in life such that security shouldn’t be a concern. Acts of kindness were futile in the long run and deemed as only for the weak because emotions slowed a man down. He didn't have time for love or feelings. They were utterly useless.
After having a light breakfast and getting dressed for work, he arrived at the metro. He sat on his usual window seat and stared into the mist on the window attempting to see through it, but without success.
A squeaky voice threatened his calm and nonchalant demeanor; the lady sat down, making herself comfortable next to him. She seemed as if she were in a hurry; panting whilst gasping for short breaths of air.
Her hair was in a mess and eyes puffy, however, there was this smile on her face, the smile so contagious and genuine that it made Arthur quite perplexed. Her body couldn’t contain her bubbly personality as she exclaimed, “what a wonderful day it is today! Isn’t it?”
Now Arthur thought to himself, what was wonderful about a rainy gloomy day, therefore, he retorted back to the strange lady’s comment “ How would you know? The day has just begun.”
A puzzled look on her face confirmed that this certainly wasn’t a reply she was expecting.
After some consideration, she explained, “In each day we have 24 hours, those 24 hours depend on how we make use of our time. The unpredictability and endless options of how to spend that time are in our hands.
"Today is yet another day where I can seize this opportunity and make the best of it! I can discover things I never knew or be happy by working towards a goal. Each day is a gift that I am truly grateful for.”
For starters, Arthur was surprised and caught off guard. In essence, for him, a day was simply surviving problems and obstacles. It was never getting his hopes too high by challenging opportunities. How absurd was that? He was confident that by having such a mindset, she would be destined for disappointment.
“Sorry to say this Miss, but one can either think like that or be realistic and approach each day as a task or routine meant to be done in an orderly fashion. That way there won't be any setbacks nor disappointments.”
On hearing this the lady quietly muttered under her breath, “Isn't he full of life!”, but she wasn't done. She took out her glass water bottle which she drank from earlier and showed it to him.
She asked him what do you see. He replied,” I see a water bottle which is half empty”.
To this, she answered, “I see a water bottle which is half full. We both are seeing the same thing but our perception of it is extremely distinct. You see it half empty. You notice the empty part first, proving you have a pessimistic mindset. You tend to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen rather than the best. You live in fear and reluctance, questioning everything without hope and faith. Yes, you are never disappointed, but you are also never content,” saying this she got up and left.
Arthur was dumbfounded, to say the least. The realisation had hit him, as truer words had never been spoken. Why was he surprised? Pessimists aren't surprised.
