The Kid: The Gentleman Series

On a fine day in a modern era, The Gentleman met a kid. He was only 13 years old of age. The kid was so curious about the Gentleman back then, regarding all his “suspicious and mysterious activities”. After a while, the Gentleman introduced himself, so did the kid. The kid asked him so many questions, the Gentleman did his best to answer each of them. As he expected, the kid never seemed to feel satisfied.

In a peaceful night, the Gentleman was thinking of the kid. “This kid, well, I like his character, though he is a little bit annoying. But, maybe he has something. Perhaps, I shall let him in”, he contemplated.

Days after their first encounter, they began their “master-apprentice” relationship even though it was progressing to be more like a dynamic-duo partnership. Some friends saw them as something like partners-in-crime.

The started their adventure. The Gentleman shared all knowledge and experience he had, about people, the world they had been living in, and the reality itself. The kid, still curious about everything, shared his story and folklores passed to him from his people before him. In many occasions, the kid challenged the Gentleman’s ideas, being so critical and stubborn. But, it successfully made every encounter so fascinating and meaningful. For sure, the Gentleman was fully aware of this, realising the kid’s tendency to be fooled by life.

At that time, the Gentleman’s journey at the Hill was only 3 years. He realised how stubborn the kid would be. However, the Gentleman kept convincing himself and continued nurturing the Kid with patience and smiles.

“He won’t be here forever. Someday, he will leave me and start his own adventure”, said the Gentleman.

Years passed by, the day finally came. The kid decided to leave the Hill. He believed he would find new things to explore, learn, and achieve on the other side of the world.

The Gentleman felt sadness in his heart but knew exactly this would happen. Deep down inside, he wanted the kid to stay and take his role someday in the future. He could not do anything. He did not want to be an obstacle to the kid’s dream.

They embraced in an evening. The kid’s whispered, “Thank you for everything, big bro”. These words made the Gentleman startled. The kid had never called him “big bro”. They were so close to tears, yet they promised not to fall into.

Seven years after their initial meeting, the kid was all grown up. He excelled in his career.

The kid had found a lady, love of his life. They started a relationship, believing she was the one. Two years after, they thought the same thing. “We are meant to be together”, said the kid to his lady. It was sure-fire, they firmly believed in that. The kid proposed the lady. She said “yes”.

The kid and the lady started planning for their marriage, in the same year and the same city they were engaged. They were thinking about the perfect day. In the end of that year would be awesome. They felt blessed. A happy moment, the greatest day of their life, was imminent. They could see it clearly.

But, something was missing.

The kid had not told his “big bro” anything; neither his relationship nor his plan for tying a knot.

No, the kid did not forget him, the person who taught him how to walk in this wild world and live in it, the one who never put a doubt in him.

For some unknown reasons, he just did not tell his master.

Amidst his ongoing pursuit of happiness, a friend told the Gentleman, “The kid you care about is planning to get married really soon….”

The Gentleman fell silent. Words and feeling scrambled in his heart.

“Why did he tell me nothing? How could?”, he was disappointed, angry, and sad.

Perhaps, the reason was crystal clear. The Gentleman was never significant to the kid.

The Gentleman had lived for almost 57 centuries. He had lived in different cities, villages, kingdoms, empires, countries, and civilisations. He was involved in numerous fights and wars, encountered many people with different backgrounds; both friends and foes.

However, there was a price to pay and it was high.

He was never destined to love and to be loved.

He married several women in different eras, just trying to settle down, have children, and make a family.

He saw them grow old and die or even killed. Over and over again. Leaving him in pain. It was too obvious. They were destined to die, he was not.

The Gentleman had friends. They passed away.

He raised sons and daughters. They were gone.

Who could survive this suffering? No one could, no one would.

“Everyone I love, they will be gone. It hurts me to see them die right before your very eyes. It always does. Better for me to be alone and it is the best for everyone”, the Gentleman convinced his friend in the past.

Until one day, the Gentleman found another way, a new way of life; A new chapter in which he encountered talented youngsters. Naïve, yet gifted, he knew it would be challenging for him to teach those youngsters and guide them to fulfill their true potential. But, it happened, something he was afraid of. He became connected to them.

He started believing again that he was born with a purpose, something that would make him “significant”.

Learning that the kid seemed not wanting to share his moment of life, the man blamed himself.

He started wondering his purpose again.
Started thinking the kid was not the one he thought before.

The Gentleman remembered every moment the kid argued him, remembered all disagreements they shared. He realised a gap which had been built since the beginning. There was no bridge could ever stand their differences.

“All the arguments and debates we had in those years, hmm, maybe they were not discussions. It is him against me, and will always be”, he shared the story to one of his apprentices.

Although the kid might never care about him and they might eventually part ways, in the end, the Gentleman, surviving through ages, would always pray the best for the kid….


-FIN-