Love of Tomorrow
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The days of the week were not yet named. The first day was simply known as “day.” At dawn, each person would arise and take a moment to think about what they had done with their life while they slept. Then everyone went off in search of food or drink.
There wasn’t much else for them to do. They didn’t know how long it took light to travel from one end of the world to another, so there might have been time enough left over at night to go out into the forest and gather wood if anyone felt like making fire later on that evening.
But nobody did this because they couldn’t be sure when nighttime came around again. No one could say exactly where the sunset was, either; all they knew was that it seemed to sink below some distant horizon somewhere outside of town. So instead people just sat together inside their houses until it got dark—and then everybody ate dinner.
Sometimes they played music after supper too: sometimes they sang songs, other times they danced. And occasionally someone would stand up and tell stories aloud to pass the time away before bedtime arrived again.
It was always a little awkward sitting down next to strangers who you’d never met before in your life but whom you already knew quite well by now. People tended to sit down near people they recognized rather than trying to make friends with new faces.
It wouldn’t matter anyway since most conversations consisted mainly of exchanging information about family members and neighbors. All in all, socializing during meals was an ordeal. That’s why no one ever made any effort to get to know anybody better once he or she became part of the community.
Everyone just lived his own quiet existence within the confines of the village. Most of them weren’t even aware of the fact that they were living in a paradise. In their minds, they were still back home in the old world, surrounded by familiar sights and sounds, going through the same routine every single day.
There was only one exception to this rule. One man stood apart from the rest because of something strange about him. His name was Izaak. He was tall and thin, and he wore clothes unlike anything else worn anywhere nearby. Every morning, he rose early and walked toward the center of town, where all the buildings were clustered closely together.
As soon as he reached the heart of the village, he stopped walking and turned around to face the east. He waited there for several minutes without moving, staring straight ahead at nothing in particular. Then he continued on his way.
This ritual went unquestioned by anyone except those few who watched him perform it year after year, watching him grow older and frailer with each passing season. After being born, growing up, getting married, having children, and dying, Izaak eventually disappeared altogether.
Nobody noticed that he had gone missing right away, though. A couple of years passed before anyone realized that he hadn’t returned home after work one afternoon. Eventually, word spread throughout the entire village that he was dead.
Izaak’s death marked the beginning of a period of great change. For the first time, the villagers began wondering whether things would continue as usual forever. What if Izaak was wrong? they wondered.
If he was mistaken about the fact that everything was supposed to remain unchanged indefinitely, maybe they should start thinking about changing their lives in ways that might improve them. Maybe they shouldn’t just accept whatever fate handed to them as inevitable.
Perhaps there really was something worth doing beyond merely existing. The thought that somebody could die someday gave these ordinary folk a whole new perspective on their daily routines, which had previously seemed completely natural to them. When they looked across the table at the faces of loved ones, they saw people who would inevitably leave them behind sooner or later.
One young woman, in particular, started asking herself questions about her future. Her name was Maryna, and she worked hard to feed both of her parents, who were elderly. She also tried to help support the rest of the household whenever possible.
Since she was so busy working so many hours per day, however, she hardly ever found time to spend with the two men who were closest to her: her father and brother. Whenever she happened to see them, they were usually asleep.
However, one day she discovered that they were awake, standing beside the fireplace talking quietly among themselves. Without realizing it, she had come upon a scene that she never expected to witness under normal circumstances.
“What are you guys whispering about?” asked Maryna, catching sight of them as she entered the room.
Her mother, Vera, answered, “We’re discussing our plans for the future.”
Maryna’s eyes widened in surprise. “You mean you’ve actually decided what you want to do with yourselves after we die?”
Vera nodded slowly. “Yes,” she replied. “That’s precisely what we’ve concluded. We don’t have much longer left to live, and we can’t imagine spending the rest of eternity waiting to die. Sooner or later, everyone will be taken out of this world by death.
Why not go along willingly instead of fighting against it like some kind of stubborn insect that refuses to give up its life when it is threatened? Isn’t that how it feels to us? Death isn’t scary anymore. Instead, it seems almost desirable compared to staying alive here for another thousand years or so.”
Maryna stared at her parents in disbelief. “Are you serious?”
Both of them nodded solemnly. They couldn’t believe that such words were coming out of their mouths either. But they didn’t feel like arguing over it. “When does your husband return home today?” asked Vera.
“He’ll probably stop by tonight, but I’m sure he won’t stay long enough to eat,” said Maryna. “My sister-in-law and her daughter often visit us, too. My niece has been sick lately, and my nephew spends most of his time looking after her. It’s difficult to get any real conversation going between all three of them.”
“Then why don’t you invite them into our house to talk while we wait for your husband to arrive?” suggested Vera.
She knew very well that Maryna wouldn’t normally think of inviting strangers inside the family home. Even so, she figured it was better than sitting alone in silence. Besides, Maryna’s brother was always complaining about how lonely he felt living far away from all of his relatives. At least now he’d finally have an excuse to make himself useful.
The next evening, Maryna called her sister-in-law, Anna, and told her that her brother was back in town. She invited her to dinner at their place. While she was on the phone, her mother came over to ask her if she wanted company during the meal. Maryna agreed immediately and then hurried off to prepare food for everybody.
In no time flat, she had served a delicious stew, baked bread, and fresh vegetables. As soon as everyone finished eating, they sat down around the kitchen table and got caught up on each other’s personal news.
At last, Maryna’s husband arrived late in the night. He greeted everyone warmly and stayed for a short while before leaving again. After he went, Maryna and her siblings spent several minutes exchanging glances and wondering what exactly was going through his head.
The way he acted toward Vera and her family made him seem more like a stranger than ever. His behavior reminded them of the way the villagers used to treat them back in the old days.
After that, Maryna began thinking seriously about her own situation. What could she possibly do once she died? Would anyone care whether she lived or died? Probably not, she thought. And yet, she still didn’t know for certain how she would choose to end her life.
She kept imagining various scenarios and trying to figure out which option seemed best to her. In the meantime, she continued helping her parents with whatever chores needed doing. One day, however, she heard her mother speaking to her father.
“I suppose it’s only natural for you to become tired of living. You’ve done everything you set out to do. Now you should just let yourself go peacefully without worrying about anything else.”
Maryna jumped up suddenly. “Don’t say that!” she shouted. “It’s absolutely ridiculous! There’s nothing wrong with wanting to keep moving forward until the moment you die. If there’s something you need to accomplish, you shouldn’t hesitate to do it.
That’s how you truly honor your ancestors and show respect for the people who raised you. Otherwise, you might as well pack your bags right now and leave this village forever.”
Vera looked at her daughter in astonishment. “Why did you come running over here like that?” she asked.
Maryna explained, “Your attitude makes me sad. How can you even consider giving up on life so easily? I understand that you’re getting older, and maybe you feel like things aren’t quite what they used to be. But you still have plenty of good years ahead of you, and you should use every single one of them to the fullest extent possible.”
Her mother shook her head sadly. “You don’t want to hear this, but I agree with you completely. When I look at you, I realize that we really are growing old. All of these aches and pains remind us of the fact that someday, sooner or later, our bodies will simply wear out. But I refuse to accept that idea. Life goes on, and so must I.”
***
One morning a few weeks later, Maryna woke up feeling refreshed and ready to start the new day. Her eyes popped open wide when she saw the sun shining brightly in the window. She hadn’t realized it was already time to get up. Then she remembered that yesterday marked the full moon. A sense of dread swept over her, and she quickly threw herself out of bed.
As she walked across the room to wash her face, Maryna noticed her father standing near the door. “Good morning,” she said cheerfully. “Didn’t sleep much last night, did you?”
“No, I couldn’t fall asleep at all,” he replied. “Maybe because my mind is too active.”
This surprised Maryna. Ever since she was little, her father had been the most cheerful person in the world. He never complained, and he always tried to find the bright side in any given situation. It wasn’t uncommon for him to joke around and tease others, especially Maryna, despite the fact that she was almost twice his age.
But today he looked unusually serious. Maryna could tell by looking at his face that he was worried about something.
She took his hand in hers and started walking with him outside. They headed straight toward the forest, where they could talk comfortably. Soon enough, they reached an area of tall grass that grew along the edge of the woods. Although the weather was nice and sunny, the wind carried a chill that felt refreshing after spending the whole day indoors.
They talked quietly for some time, and then finally her father spoke. “My dear child, I’m afraid I have bad news. We won’t be able to celebrate the New Year together anymore.”
“What?! Why?!”
“Well, I told you that I’d gotten sick recently, right? Well, it turns out that my condition isn’t improving at all. My doctor says I’ll probably pass away soon.”
His words hit her harder than she expected, and tears streamed down Maryna’s cheeks. She hugged him tightly, and for a long time, neither of them knew what to say. Finally, she managed to ask: “So, does that mean…you’re really dying?”
He nodded slowly. “Yes, that’s exactly right. I haven’t taken many medicines lately, and none of them seem to help me very much. Sooner or later, I expect I’ll lose consciousness and slip into eternal sleep. At least that way, I won’t suffer any more pain and discomfort.”
Maryna stared at him in disbelief. This was beyond belief; surely this couldn’t actually happen! After all, her father was a strong man. Even when he got sick, he rarely missed work unless it was absolutely necessary. And now he wanted to give up on life before its time? No, no, this couldn’t possibly be true.
“Oh, Father…” Tears were streaming down her face once again. “That’s not fair. I know you didn’t want to end up like this, but why would God make someone so kind and gentle like you suffer so much? Couldn’t He have found another solution instead of letting you die like this? What am I supposed to do if you disappear from this life so suddenly?”
“I’m sorry, my love. You shouldn’t blame yourself for this. There’s nothing anyone could’ve done to prevent it.”
It seemed as though there was only one thing left to say. Maryna turned to face the woods and began to sing a song. The words came naturally to her lips, and she sang them without thinking. By the time the song ended, both of their hearts were filled with hope.
The next day, Maryna went back home early. As usual, she spent several hours talking to her parents and her sister. But when the time came for dinner, she excused herself politely and hurried upstairs to change clothes. Once she was dressed, she rushed downstairs and announced her arrival. Her mother smiled happily and said, “Welcome home, my dearest daughter!”
A short while later, everyone sat down for dinner. Maryna kept glancing nervously at her father, who still hadn’t spoken a word during the meal. His eyes remained fixed on the table, and he refused even to take a single bite of food.
Afterward, Maryna helped clean the dishes. While doing so, she thought about how strange her father had acted earlier. Of course, she understood that losing someone close to you was hard. However, she couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t eat anything just because he was sad. That was simply unthinkable.
Finally, Maryna decided to speak up. “Father, are you okay? Are you sure you don’t need to go see a doctor?”
Her father shook his head. “There’s no point in going anywhere else. I already seen two doctors, and neither of them can offer me any solutions. But I’m fine. Really. In fact, I feel better now than I ever did before.”
At first, Maryna didn’t understand what he meant. Then she realized that maybe he had changed his mind about eating. Maybe he’d decided not to force himself to eat, but rather to let nature take its own course. Perhaps, deep inside, he knew that death was inevitable.
And yet, she couldn’t accept such an idea. There must be some other explanation. When she brought it up, however, her father merely shrugged. “You may think whatever you wish,” he replied. “Although, I doubt your guesses will lead us anywhere useful.”
Maryna’s expression darkened. She wasn’t used to being treated like this, especially by her own father. It made things difficult for her. For example, she had always loved singing songs with her family. Now that her father wouldn’t allow it, she felt lost.
As the days passed, Maryna continued helping around the house. Although she tried to avoid her father whenever possible, they inevitably ran into each other. And every time, he looked at her with sadness in his eyes. The longer this went on, the worse Maryna’s mood became.
The End