Strange Bedfellows

Hello.
It is a pleasure to meet you, I've heard much
about you, all things of a pleasant nature befitting
an esteemed {Non Gender specific Honorary Title} such
as yourself. Please, have a seat. Would you like
something to consume? Something in Liquid form
perhaps? We have a various array of hydrating
substances to choose from. Do you prefer water, or
perhaps to dabble in some libations could be
recommended in order to ease your senses? I am not
fond of drinking alone, so unless you object I have a
bottle of excellent Sake to share? What kind of drink
is that? Why it is a type of rice wine, it is rather
delicious I assure you, you shall not be disappointed.
But I digress, please; make your self at home, for my
tale of how I came to find myself here is a long one,
full of tears, betrayal, and partial nudity.


***

As I was traversing home from activities of an
academic and spiritual nature last week, wandering the
earth in search of wisdom and adventure; I happened to
once again cross paths with my old nemesis Timothy
Lee.
"WHAT? What are you doing here? I thought I had
finished you off back at the summit long ago!"
"You came very near to succeeding, but thanks to
the kindness of a benevolent apparition, My mortal
form was once again infused with the vitality
necessary in order to vanquish you once and for all!"
"Hmm, though the kindness of strangers can not be
depended upon, it occasionally does seem to manifest
itself in times of great need. And, in keeping with a
spirit of kindness, I imagine you have thirsted for
revenge for far to long, let me ease your suffering
and put pennies upon those eyes!"
Thus, the kimono had been unfolded, the die
cast. As neither party could now back down even if
they had so desired; this meeting was to alleviate the
bitter vendetta we had both harbored in our hearts for
so long now. We made agreements to meet later that
night where the sparrow flies to once again find
herself in union with the earth. The story in the
soil.
As I arrived in the cloak of silence and cover of
darkness, I was overtaken under the influence of a
mixture of nostalgia and melancholy. How many times
had I found myself at this place, how many times had I
exhaled the breadth of life in order that I may
inhale, only to one day have such breath no more. Had
I been born for no other reason than in order to die?
To be left alone with one's thoughts can provokes
unpleasant spirits dwelling deep within the mind. No
wonder most people never want to be alone, most people
don't want to feel the anguish that comes when freed
from a connection with some greater whole, most people
do not want to be challenged by the anguish in their
soul.
I was not left long with my thoughts however, as Tim
Lee appeared soon after. Consigned to silence, we both
adhered to an unspoken agreement to respect this
moment. The tension proved palpable, the air cool and
moist with a mild wind blowing to the southeast. The
elements that surrounded our mortal coil felt tampered
and oddly surreal, like a painting of a picture of a
photograph. As people who haven't seen each other
oftentimes are inclined to do, we ended up becoming
sidetracked and spent a surprising amount of time
caught up in a discussion about Tibet and the recent
appearance of the Dali Llama at the US Capitol and
the resulting negative reaction from China. But then,
WE DUELED!
A valiant and epic struggle it was, but the greater
man that fateful evening proved not to be one who
resides before you now. Much to the shame of my
ancestors, I was defeated against an enemy I had once
stood against victorious! Stripped of my honor, I lay
prostrate before him.
"You have defeated me William, Heir to the House of
Lee. My life is to be taken as your rightful reward."
"Oh the many moons I have longed for this moment! To
dream of your downfall has given me comfort on many
cold and unforgiving nights."
"I may well imagine."
"Still, I do not plan to end you here."
"WHAT? WHATSOEVER DO YOU SPEAK OF?"
"To give the sweet release of death would be to
merciful for one such as you, one who has faced all
his life what all the sons of ancestors such as ours
must face."
Gazing off for a moment, a malicious smile
imperceptibly began to imprint itself upon his face.
"For you, my most formidable of foes, I shall force
unto you a fate far crueler than the one you had
resigned yourself to. Now that I have taken that which
is most dear to you, and have made arrangements to
destroy whatever left you may hold onto to, I shall
make you but a hollow husk of the man you once were.
But I shall spare you your life, for life is the
cruelest of all punishments, and in your misery I
shall find comfort, upon your broken back I shall
dance, in your soul sapped of vitality I shall find
solace. Now go hither back to the hearth of home, and
reflect upon these words."
"Although, on second thought, if you don't mind
writing for my literary journal, we could just call it
even."

***

And so, you find me here today good {Non gender
specific Honorary Title}. Funny how life may from time
to time put one in such predicaments, expectations of
actions juxtaposed to how matters unfold make for
strange bedfellows. (Insert other couplet of
Ridiculous things) makes for even stranger ones.