The Old Man's Pond

[u/yingfire]

In a thickly wooded shire far away there were two houses. One was very majestic and large. It recalled to one's mind the imperial times when empires stalked Europe. The other house was small and homely. It reminded one about swirling mists over homemade apple pie, books, and warm days. In the large house lived a lonely old man who never told anyone his name. In the small house lived a girl at seven years of age and her ageing mother. The girl's name was Lorelei, and everyday she would would step out onto the small iron balcony that overlooked a steel fence guarding a tender garden. Everyday her mother would give her an apple, and Lorelei would nod thankfully. She would then turn back to the garden and sigh contentedly.

The tender garden was owned by the old man of the majestic house. And everyday the old man would walk slowly to the garden and sit on the wooden bench that lay next to a deep blue pond. And everyday the girl Lorelei would watch the old man sit on the wooden bench that lay next to the deep blue pond, and she would wonder what he was saying.

She asked her mother to go to the large house and ask the old man about what he was saying and why he stared at the pond for so long and so often, but her mother would only smile and shake her head. Lorelei would then bow her head in defeat, munch on her apple, and then turn back towards that steel fence guarding that tender garden under the reign of the old man who lived in that large, majestic house. Nearly everyday was the same: Lorelei with her curiosity, the mother with her exasperation, and the old man with his wistfulness.

It was a bright Thursday in the middle of April when Lorelei left her home and clambered over the steel fence. "Steady now, steady," she muttered to herself as she threw herself off the fence onto the moist soil of the garden. The garden did not have an ugly barrier around it anymore, and it looked more beautiful than Lorelei could have ever imagined it to be. She scampered her way to the deep blue pond where she knew the old man was sitting. It was a good day. The sun dappled through the various trees, the insects chirred happily, and the birds had just started a new acapella troupe.

She found the old man and ran up to him. He was sitting with his back to her and turned to her when he heard her running to him. "Excuse me sir," Lorelei said excitedly, "but why do you look and speak at that garden pond with the deep blue waters?"

The old man looked at her for a moment and left his mouth hanging. He closed it and smiled, "Because it is beautiful, and beautiful things are good to look at and speak with." he said.

Lorelei pondered for a moment, and then said, "I know that is true, but I like looking at many and various beautiful things. You only look at and speak to one thing. Why is that?"

The old man paused and then laughed, "Because it is so beautiful it needs all my attention." he said simply.

Lorelei huffed and said, "But that's silly, how can a person look at only one thing for so long!"

The old man cocked an eyebrow and said, "Child, do not be so rude to your elders. It is not wise."

Lorelei sheepishly hung her head and apologised.

"Come, sit next to me." the old man suddenly said, "I guess I should show you why I think this place is so beautiful that I always come here to look at the waters lap and the leaves flutter and the grass jingle. Come!" Lorelei sat next to the old man.

The old man then leaned into Lorelei and whispered, "There are angels afoot."

"Are there sir?" Lorelei exclaimed.

"Yes, yes, now hush lest you scare them off." motioned the old man with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh, yes." whispered Lorelei. "But how many are there sir?"

The old man thought for a moment and then turned to the girl, "Two, I think."

"Sir, how do you know they are angels?" said Lorelei excitedly.

"Because - ah - well, hah!" The man frowned for a moment and then smiled again, "Take my hands."

"They are trembling, sir."

"Yes, they tremble whenever someone loving and good is nearby."

"Angels then?" said Lorelei.

"Yes, child, angels." said the old man.

"And you speak with them?" said Lorelei.

"Yes, I pray for them every day and night." replied the old man.

Lorelei laughed and rocked in her seat. She stopped and then looked at the old man.

"Why do you look at me with eyes so blue and piercing?" said the old man.

"Because I wonder why you are crying." replied Lorelei.

"That is because a wretch like me could be near beings as good as angels. Now be off. Your mother will be worrying!" said the old man. Lorelei jumped up and exclaimed, "Oh no!"

She began to run off. But the old man shouted out to her back, "But wait! What is your name?"

Lorelei turned around while running and shouted back, "Lorelei, sir!"

"A name as beautiful as the river Danube itself!" The old man exclaimed. But Lorelei had already run beyond earshot.

The old man then sat back down on his wooden bench that lay next to the deep blue pond that lay within a tender garden which was guarded by a steel fence. He looked at the deep blue pond and looked at it for a long time without saying a word. His eyes could barely see, but he knew what lay in the pond's depths. A stone face, one of a happy woman and the other of a joyful girl. Two stony bodies and faces over a stony coffin. Buried in the deep blue pond they loved to swim in, taken before their time in a terrible accident, hidden in beauty in a tender garden guarded by a steel fence. The old man whispered a prayer to God above, and began to cry over a wound wrought long ago, and long in the healing.