Author: rhoads
Date:Sep 6 2018
I
Once upon a time there was a man. A lonely man, perhaps, but he didn't see it
that way because he had several friends and acquintances. The man used to sing
and play musical instruments with his friends to the point where they were all
exhausted and the night had come. This was very satisfying and brought joy to
the man's heart.
Everything in the man's life was fine and he was happy playing and singing
with his friends until one day he spotted a fair maiden in the audience of one
of his gigs in the local tavern. He was enthralled and had to find out more
about this fair maiden. He approached the maiden and her friends at their
table
and asked if he could sit and talk to them. The maidens approved and he sat
down.
"Are you an angel, my fair maiden, because the stars shine in your eyes and
you glow with an inner light?" he asked from the maiden he was so enthralled
with. The maiden, blushing, answered: "I am not an angel nor a demon, good
sir,
and it won't do you any good to call me such. I am just a farmgirl and my
father won't allow me to mingle with musicians normally... but I will make an
exception this time since you are such a handsome fellow with sharp wits."
"Have you seen the moon lately, my fair lady? Its glow pales compared to
yours.", he then asked of the girl. Giggling, the girl answered: "My, good
sir,
you are something else with your elegant way of putting things!" Chuckling, he
then replied: "Would you like to take a stroll with me in the pale light of
the
stars?", he asked and offered his hand to the maiden. The maiden's party
giggled and the nearest girl poked the maiden in the ribs. "Why, yes, good
sir,
I sure would like some fresh air for it is quite musty here in the tavern."
The girl took his hand and they took their leave. They exited the tavern and
started walking towards a clearing in the forest nearby. The maiden's raven
black hair shone silver in the starlight and the man marveled at her beauty.
Hand in hand, they entered the clearing and sat down amongst the long grass.
"Your lips are like cherries, so sweet, so... very elegant and beautiful, my
fair maiden", said the man to the maiden. "Would you do me the honour of
letting me kiss them?", he asked and drew nearer to the maiden. Silent, the
girl just puckered her lips and the man kissed her longingly. They grabbed
eachother and started tumbling about on the clearing.
II
Years had passed and the maiden and the man lived together in a small house
the
man had built for them with his friends. The man was away a lot, for he had to
make a living as a travelling musician. The maiden waited and longed for his
return each night while sitting on a wooden chair on the terrace of their
house.
One night, while waiting in complete darkness the maiden fell asleep on her
chair and the night passed peacefully for her. But in the morning when she
woke up, she realised the man hadn't returned from his travels last night and
started to worry. The morning passed and she worried. The afternoon passed and
still she worried. The evening came and she started to think that maybe the
man
had another fair maiden on the side and anger rose in her. "If that scoundrel
ever darkens this doorstep again he shall hear what I think of his travels!",
she thought to herself as the sun set and it became dark again.
Still she waited on the terrace, sitting on the wooden chair, when the moon
rose and suddenly she spotted a man crawling towards the house. "Hello, good
sir, can I help you in some way?" she hollered at the man. "Darling, it ish
me!"
came the reply from the man. "You!", the maiden shouted in anger. "You had me
half worried to death waiting for you to return", she continued. "I am sho
shorry, I hads to drink with my fellowsh a little!" the man uttered. Angered
to the point of fury, the maiden replied: "Where the hell have you been? And
this story about drinking doesn't add up, you never drink much!" she asked the
man. Before he could reply, she continued: "Is that lipstick on your collar?
Which of your fellows put on lipstick this time, you scoundrel?", she
questioned
the man sarcastically. "But I can exshplain!", the man pleaded. "Explain
then",
she replied. "There wash a maiden who attacked me and made thish!", the man
tried to explain. "You lying rotten bastard, you think I will just eat up your
lies as you serve them before me?", she fumed at the man. "But, but...", the
man tried but was cut short when she stormed in the house and locked the door.
III
Years had passed again after the incident and the man and the maiden no longer
lived together in their little house. Instead, the man lived in a little shack
by the shore of the sea. The maiden had bought the house from him with money
she had gotten from her father and kicked the man out on the curb. The man had
bought the little shack with the little money he had saved from his travels as
a musician. He just sat and drank all day, every day while reminiscing about
the good times he had had with the maiden. "Oh woe, why did I drink all that
ale?", he muttered to himself while taking a big gulp of ale and topping it up
with a shot of whiskey. "Why did I let that evil woman soil my collar with her
lipstick", he mused, "well, anything for a groupie, I guess..."
The man started to sob. After sobbing for a good half an hour he started to
whine. After being done with the whining he started to cry. Tears rolled down
his face as he stood up, grabbed a piece of rope and started fiddling with it.
"Farewell, friends and acquintances, farewell", he muttered as he jumped down
and his weight pulled the rope around his neck tighter, efficiently ending his
life.
Later that day, the local fisherman found his dead body swinging from the
rafters and a curious note which he took to the maiden living in the small
house all by herself. Removing his cap, the man stood on the doorstep and
explained to the maiden about the finding he had made and gave her the curious
note. It read:
farewell, friends and acquintances, farewell
do tell, do you still know me, do tell, and
I'll tell, that I don't, I won't, tell you
that I miss your company and your faces
miss those lovely places, we used to visit
the parks we sat in and talked about life
but now all I find is chaos and strife
your sins will haunt you every step of your life
until the cold grave calls
your sins will haunt you every moment in your nightmare
until into the cold grave your body falls
begone, but remember, begone
be done, will I ever, be done
farewell, be successful and prosper, farewell
do tell, will you remember, do tell, and
I'll tell, that I will but I won't, tell you
that I long for the sweet grasp of the noose
'cos that is a secret my lips won't let loose
your sins will haunt you every step of your life
until the cold grave calls
your sins will haunt you every moment in your nightmare
until into the cold grave your body falls
THE END
(To Anni, 6.9.2018 -Rhoads)