Below is my offering for Trifecta’s week 95 challenge word, which is ‘rainbow’. As you will see from the Trifecta blog post, the challenge is to write between 33 and 333 words of fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose, based on the 3rd definition from the Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary. This week the 3rd definition of ‘rainbow’ is:
[from the impossibility of reaching the rainbow, at whose foot a pot of gold is said to be buried] : an illusory goal or hope
I hope you enjoy my offering – please check here for the other entries!
*****
– Essence –
“What do you want from life?”
The man replied, almost before the question had finished reverberating around the empty room.
“I just want to be happy! That’s all!”
Silence settled, coating the walls, the floor and the man himself with an almost palpable disapproval.
“Hello? Did you hear me? I said -”
“I heard.”
“So?”
“Are you absolutely certain?”
“Look, I thought you were omnipotent, omniscient, all that crap. So, just sort it out, won’t you? The rest of my life is waiting!”
The Voice sighed. Every time…
“If that is what you wish – and I repeat that you said ‘I just want to be happy’ – then it can be arranged. But if your only experience is happiness, you will be forever denied the richness of life. Do you understand me?”
The man held up his hand, as if to stop The Voice in its tracks. The man’s ears were deaf to all explanations. His mind had been made up long ago.
“I know what I want. Deliver it.”
The final words sealed his fate. The door opened and the man ran from the room, eager to meet his destiny.
The Voice remained silent. There was nothing to say. Removing all causes of negativity from the man’s life would render him happy, but not for long. Once he arrived home to a house with no wife and children to welcome him, a phone with no parents or friends to receive his call… well, his choice had been made.
The Voice knew. Each thing that brings us happiness also brings us pain. Equally, remove all sources of pain and our happiness soon evaporates.
Such is the way of the world.
Such a shame that once the man had made his decision, there was no turning back. He had embarked on a fool’s errand.
The Voice wondered if he himself would ever stop searching for the wise man, his own personal rainbow.
Perhaps The Heart would know.
*****
Really enjoyed this one. Such a delightful twist.
Thank you so much!
I’ve never really thought about happiness that way before…but it makes sense that if we have no pain or sorrow to compare to, all happiness would become rather mundane.
It’s an interesting concept, isn’t it? I’m pleased my story got you thinking! 🙂
I remember a story in which a woman wishes that everyone will love her son, making him miserable and rich, and when he tries to kill himself the angel lets him reverse the wish, that he will love everyone- so he ends poor and happy.
I thought a wish for “happiness” like that might result in imbecility. An imbecile, always cared for, might be happy.
And- did not the man wish for permanent happiness? He should have been more precise in his definitions.
Lucky that the angel was around to rescue him!
Yes, I did ponder the concept of imbecility, but swerved that one as the road I went down did strike a chord with me personally.
As for the man’s wish – clean language, precision, putting some thought into his desires and their consequences – well, it’s food for thought for us all, don’t you think?
Thank you for popping in – I need to catch up on my reading 😉
This was really thought provoking – love challenges to the ordinary ways of thinking
I’m glad to have been provocative 😉
Thank you for reading and enjoying!
You have brought out the duality in life beautifully here. I salute you.
🙂
Thank you so much, yarnspinerr 🙂
“The Voice wondered if he himself would ever stop searching for the wise man, his own personal rainbow.” How profound. Great take on the prompt, Freya!
Thank you – I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Oh… that is really well done. There are so many choices in life and what we choose definitely affects our life. May be happiness is not everything.
I liked your narration. Lovely!
Thank you so much!
What a thoughtful, and wise, piece! “Each thing that brings us happiness also brings us pain.” – there is so much truth in this, though I’ve not really thought about it that way. To me, happiness isn’t feeling the emotion 24/7- it’s being able to find, and appreciate, the sum of the day’s good.
Thank you very much – I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I do like that turn of phrase ‘the sum of the day’s good’.
Like the direction you took.
Thank you, LaTonya.
That’s a good head-scratcher of a piece.
Don’t scratch too hard! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
A fool’s errand, indeed. Plus, doesn’t he know that happy people have nothing to write about? 🙂 Thanks so much for linking up.
Indeed, happy people soon run out of subject-matter 😉
You’re welcome!
The Voice and his search for a wise man. So perfect. So sardonic.
Thank you, Kymm. Sardonic – a great word!
“The Heart” had such a strong meaning in your story.
It is true, it takes some bad with the good for a happy life. Yen/Yang. Learning how to cope and accept them both are the key, I guess.
It’s funny, because that last line came to me, almost as an afterthought! Indeed, learning how to handle the highs and lows is a real art – acceptance, now there’s a loaded word.
Quite loaded, but especially important in a quest of forgiveness. Accepting things, which normally would be deemed unacceptable, that truly plays a role in the whole healing process.
This is excellent! Very thought-provoking without coming off as preachy. I like how The Voice is seeking his own rainbow too. Well done!
Thank you, Ivy. I’m gad it’s not preachy – that would have been ‘a bad thing’!
Such a beautiful piece with profound thoughts-loved,” Each thing that brings us happiness also brings us pain. Equally, remove all sources of pain and our happiness soon evaporates..” The apt title-“essence” ,being the icing on this sumptuous cake Freya 🙂
Thank you so much!
🙂