Silence. What is its nature? Nothingness, that's what is. After a while, you yearn to hear the little sounds of nothing, accustomed as your city ears are to a constant drone. There's nothing more soothing than to sometimes find that your search for even the tiniest pinprick yields nothing. That is when you're reassured that indeed you are the only one there. Bringing with it a wave of peace for those who seek solitude. But my silence was disturbed. Jarringly so.
My name is Jarvis. I am 12 years of age. Sometimes it seems like I always have been. But maybe its the magic of this place. Its where time sometimes comes to take a breather. Green grass, cobalt blue skies. This day, I was on one of the hills of my property. Enjoying the silence, blissfully aware of my lonesomeness. Its a lush spread, forty acres, with a small pond, and a couple of small hills overlooking a neat little valley. You could say I've had a privileged existence. So there I was, drinking in the nothingness, when I saw It.
It was about five foot ten, russet skin, brunette hair. It looked just like any of us. In every way. Brown eyes, short, pudgy nose, a heavy- set mouth. Only Its skin looked sickeningly fresh, as if It had just gotten out of the womb, in Its present condition. And It walked with a gait so stoic, it looked like It was making no progress at all. But it was moving all right. Slowly and steadily, without even a spare glance in my direction. I sighed with relief when I realized It hadn't noticed me. And just like that, It passed.
I sat down right where I was, shaken to my core. I'd always heard tales of them, that they did exist, but never had I given it any more than a disdainful thought. But today, having seen one with my very own eyes, it could not be denied any more. They existed. I sat there for a few more minutes, half expecting It to come back any second, and say 'No I did not overlook you! But I wanted to lull you into a false sense of security. Did not want to lose you in a fit of excitement. And here you are, off-guard and relaxed. Now, you have nowhere to go!'
But of course, it was my overtly cinematic imagination at work; no such thing happened. I half walked, half ran back home. Mother had kept a porridge over the flame to cook. Lunch was due in a few minutes. She turned around at my sound, and peered at me, obviously noticing my paler than usual color. I walked into my room without a word. Ever since father had left us abruptly, it was like life held no special attraction for us. The house was in perpetual disarray, a picture of neglect. It had grown filthy and looked uninhabited. Hardly the house of someone who owned the property we did.
'Jarvis! Come for lunch!'
Lunch was ready. I made my way to the kitchen all too sure that she would notice something was amiss. I sat down and started gulping my hot porridge, eager to get out of there. I gagged on it.
'Calm down Jarvis! What's the big hurry? And what's happened? You're hiding something from me. You look like you saw a human or something.'
This time I dropped my spoon and coughed, looking afterwards at her with wide eyed wonder. 'How did you know?'
'What?! Tell me what happened!'
'I was just on one of our hills, sitting and enjoying the view, when this human walked by. I saw him clearly mother! He walked so slow, foot falling after next foot, dressed exactly like us! But he never even looked in my direction.I don't know what I would have if he would have. But I'm sure I saw him mother!' I exclaimed.
'Nonsense Jarvis. I won't have such talk from you.' My mother spoke in an unusually cold voice, quelling any protests. 'You know full well there's no such thing as humans. We spirits are the only thing that exist on this earth. Do not harbor such wasteful beliefs in your head. Humans, bah! Now you listen to me. It was just your imagination playing tricks on you. You did not see a human, such things don't exist! Do you hear me Jarvis??'
I mumbled a yes and went on to finish my lunch in silence. Mother never looked at me throughout, as if she was afraid I'd continue the discussion if she did. I finished and went up to my room, where I lay down and thought. She was entitled to her beliefs, and I to mine. If she had seen what I'd seen she wouldn't have denied it this vehemently. I knew what I'd seen and however much she said anything, I did know one thing for a fact now. We spirits aren't the only thing to live on this planet.
Humans exist too.
