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Chapter 12

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A vast farmland just outside of Lighthaven was sight to see, hills and mountains in the very far distance as domesticated animals grazed and chewed upon grass that grew on the ground, providing nutrition to replenish their strength and energy for tomorrow and then the next.

Within the fields of fresh wheat, a white-haired boy with noticeable emerald eyes was humming mirthfully as he casually enjoyed the fresh air gently passing through his skin while at the same time working diligently as he continuously pulled on the scythe and swept it downward onto the field, cutting the grains to be gathered up later.

His name is Solomon, and he is the only child of a widow who owns this farm. Being the hard working farmer of his mother and a late father who died during his birth, he became responsible for doing every task required to provide for Judith's needs after his mother inherited the place.

It was gloomy to imagine of having to go to war for simply the sake of war when men are called by the king or queen to fight in their name and die for the sake of fulfilling the kingdom's goals—a sad life for his father, who never witnessed his child being born.

Dropping his scythe, he picked up the bundle of straws on the ground to be thrown in the wagon near the opened barn house, forcing him to carry the large mass of it, but nevertheless, Solomon didn't complain. He knows well that a person of his young age can handle the strain, exhaustion, and soreness; it is diligence itself that makes boy become a man.

After some struggles in carrying such a heavy load, the child was able to deposit them inside the wagon for both making bread, rice, and hay bale for everyone in the village, including the livestock themselves, to be consumed.

Feeling relieved, Solomon went back to harvest more crops by repeating the process, but when he was about to cut them once again, someone unexpectedly appeared, approaching the man at the corner of his eyes, resulting in him dropping his scythe and turning to the source.

His eyes and mouth widen in happiness. "Heeeey!" Waving his left hand up in the air, he felt his heart overjoyed at seeing a good friend with a smile. "Over here!" Shouting and gesturing with his hands in hopes of getting his attention, the white-robed young man successfully noticed his presence.

"Solomon!" The robed man exclaimed while waving back in return, "It's good to see you!" he said to the child, smiling kindly at him with delight as the boy quickly ran up to him and embraced Seth by jumping high in the air, wrapping his arms around the founder's stomach.

Grinning from ear to ear, the child gleefully withdraw his arms, looking up to him in joy before saying, "because of you, my mother was able to come out of her shell after..." A thought came to his mind of his father, "dad, you know what I mean," remembering his parents and how fortunate he is to be with only his mother.

The boy never had the opportunity to get to know his father; he believed him to be nothing more than a big jerk for leaving mom to a pointless mission sent by his superiors. It is not right to leave family first before the state or country; it is man's duty to be with his family at all costs, and that's what Solomon believes to be right in his opinion.

A sad look spawned on Seth's face: "Yes, your father," understanding the boy's thoughts; "I hope that I didn't bring any bad memories," praying that he hadn't accidentally upset the child's emotional wounds by simply mentioning him.

Noticing the downcast look on his friend's face, he says, "don't worry!" He proclaimed in proud manner, "he deserves it anyway," announcing at the top of his lungs, "just because he is a dad doesn't mean that he can abandon us and put the empire before his wife and child," explaining his own views on what a father's responsibility should be.

Seth was a little shocked to hear this, especially coming from a child. "His still your father, Solomon," he said while staring directly into his eyes, "even if he did leave the both of you, your mother was surely upset after hearing his death."

Guilt crept through Solomon's throat, being scolded by someone he looks up to; perhaps he was being harsh all this time, but he still holds hatred in his heart for this, whether it is a mistake or not; the boy is not sure to know for certain.

"Still..." Briefly looking away for a moment, "he left us," he sighed in displeasure, "never given me a chance of seeing him in person; how could I not hate him?" Unable to comprehend the entire situation despite being taught such things, he couldn't accept the truth, no matter how hard he tried to understand it.

Hate, he knows what it can bring; hate is a form of negativity that causes many forms of chaos and destruction to those who are led into its consuming flames. Seth does not tolerate hate in his presence; it is bad for the soul or mind altogether.

It brings about negative things; hate is a form of illness that blinds and taints the minds of men. It is dangerous yet easy to fall upon as its poison reaches the mind and consumes the person entirely. Even if they are unaware of the seed that was planted, it already festers and grows, waiting for the right time to spring up and unleash its ugly head.

To him, it is like the darkness inside every human being that needs to be vanquished by light instead. Yet, sometimes it is not as easy to simply ignore the presence of hate, as it will always be there to linger in the corner of their eyes.

For the world shall always sin and live in corruption; he shouldn't let his guard down even for a second, as he must stand strong to confront the enemy that lurks in the shadows. It is his duty to spread the message of hope and love, for only then shall men be healed.

"Listen to me," placing his hands on Solomon's shoulders while showing concern for the farmer boy's behavior, "you hate no one, not a single soul," lecturing in a serious manner, "if you do, then you become less of a person," saying the truth about this subject.

The boy was listening carefully, unable to deny or stop what Seth was saying, only frozen in his spot, for he couldn't imagine what it would be like if his body were to be taken over by the entity called 'hatred', "but I can't forgive him," denying such forgiveness, "my father left my mother when she gave birth to me," staring down in conflict with the situation.

But he kept on his ground, refusing to bend his knee over hate. "It isn't always about you," Seth remained firm and strong. "Sometimes you have to take into consideration other feelings no matter the case," continuing as Solomon hung his head low.

"Do you love your mother?"

The question sprung his head up: "of course!" Solomon answered without a hint of hesitation, "I love my mom in every way possible! I'd do anything to keep her happy," his determination showed through his eyes as he spoke of it with his heart and soul.

Smiling softly, "and you know that your mother loved your father; is it not true?" He questioned once more, "Do you want to break her heart? " Continuing with the boy who became silent, he said, "But truly, I shall tell you this," catching his breath before finishing it.

The scene around them became briefly silent, almost tranquil as they were speaking in a secluded world, isolated from the rest of society, while birds chirped through the skies and cows mooed in the background. "No one deserves to get hurt in this world," Seth finally added to the mix with a solemn tone, "even those who have done terrible things in the past are still people; they feel pain as we do."

Solomon frowned a little, unable to either let out a comment or response because his ears were too busy processing everything his mentor said. He wanted to make a retort but realized that Seth was right in his assumptions; his mother always loved his father.

"But...but..."

Letting go of the boy, he takes a few steps backwards before inhaling the fresh air and exhaling through his lungs. "Anyone is capable of change, given they are willing to try and see the error of their ways," he says, smiling in reassurance. "If they have an open mind, then anything is possible, for the will of the Lord is powerful beyond what they can even dream off."

The young farmer boy, who has never experienced this in his life, couldn't bring himself to disagree anymore: "He is dead," finally admitting what the facts are: "Daddy is dead and never coming back," releasing his hatred from the deepest part of his being.

Tears streamed down from his cheeks, falling to the ground as sorrow filled the boy's heart. "How? How will I reconcile with him if he's gone?" Part of him was glad, but after realizing that despite what his father did and to the both of them, he began to regret some of what he said to his father's memory: "Does it mean... that I'm a monster?" He asked in a mournful tone, fearful of what he had become.

Kneeling down with one leg and lowering himself to the boy's level, he gently placed his hand on Solomon's hair, caressing it in a show of comfort. "Never were you a monster," reassuring in a tender tone, "to hate is to be human but to forgive is divine," he finished in a statement.

Giving the child's head a gentle rub, Seth continued with his wise lessons: "Your mother loved him just as he loved her, so love him back and find peace for yourself; let go of the hatred and seek forgiveness, for the Lord is gracious and ever merciful," taking his hand off and standing tall in front of him.

As he watched Solomon slowly absorb what he said, the founder of his church let out a soft sigh in relief that the poor, misguided boy now released himself of his burden. Hatred can do many things in life; whether it is good or bad depends on the person who bears it.

"Stand up and come with me," extending his hand to him, "were are going to speak to your mother." Seth offered the invitation to him. The boy gazed at the extended arm for a short period of time before taking it with his own hand, helping him regain balance by getting himself off the ground.

Solomon wiped the tears with his hands and sleeve, "y-yeah," trying to regain his composure. "Why do you want to meet my mom anyway?" Slightly confused about the reason behind it, "was it because of our conversation?" believing it to be the main reason why Seth has chosen to speak with her after this.

But instead of answering immediately, he let out a chuckle in amusement: "No, I simply wanted to check on her if everything is fine," smiling in assurance, "being a caring and supportive friend, that's all I want to do for you and your mother," revealing the real reason for coming here in the first place.

Touched by the kindness that Seth has shown for him, he embraced him in a tight hug, much to his surprise. "You're the best!" Tears were shed as the boy felt gratitude for having this hateful burden lifted from his heart and soul.

Seth, being Seth, smiled happily. "Promise me one thing," requesting him to do one simple thing, "when you grow up," the wind gently passed through them while Seth maintained his kind demeanor. "Be kind to others and to yourself as well,"telling him in a gentle manner.

Breaking away from the embrace, the boy looked up with a nod and said, "I sure will!" Grinning from ear to ear as their hairs blow along the wind's direction.

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.042 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 01:35, Nov 13 2024