The Fox And The Turtle
On the coast of the island, there was sand whitened to shine like a piece of silver jewelry. The waters blackened with glossed even under a quarter moon. Once a green country now was a wasteland only in a zombie apocalypse. All of this changed ever since the tsunami collided with the land and wasted to the ponds and land.
Stagnant. Dry. Daisies popped from the ground, but they are strange. They are missing some petals, as though giant hands squished them before they emerged from the ground.
In that wasteland, side by side, meandering with all the time in the world was the fox and the turtle. They survived nature’s grasp by evaluating with humans. Among the wooden crates, they laid hidden. The fox kept watch from the crate and the turtle whispered words of comfort to the fox in return.
Now they are meandering the land, without a destination with all the time in the world. No person has spotted them. Not much peril met the friends with the exception of wild boars who saw their chance to cause havoc in the land. They ate the crops and attacked those who came near them.
The fox was small but agile. It was he who made quick escapes, picking the turtle up in his mouth and making a quick escape. The turtle, the fox’s only friend, kept watch for any danger and kept the fox company. Inseparable friends.
The fox and the turtle cannot communicate with humans. Only with each other. And that is precisely what they did. The friends made do with whatever food scraps they’ve gathered from the humans, not that they ran into them that much lately.
One day, the fox was sad and so he said, “I don’t understand. How could a land of prosperity and growth be decimated to ruin?” The Fox heaved a sigh. His voice choked. “There is no food, no shelter, and no other animals in sight. No one could have survived an event like this. I’m certain nothing.” He lowered his head. “It’s as though hope itself abandoned our land.”
“Hope has not fled,” the turtle replies. “Hope is a feeling that remains in all of us as long as you keep your faith.”
The Fox pointed his snout to the path. “What does faith have to do with this?”
The turtle paused in his steps. “Faith is a desire for a better present. Hope is a desire for the future to become better. Both serve well for keeping optimism.”
The fox asked, “Where do you go when you are at your lowest? What do you do when every in your life is eradicated? How-” Surely the turtle could answer all these questions. “How can you rebuild your life when you have nothing to claim?”
“When you are at your lowest seek guidance through meditation. When your life is eradicated, search for what you love through experience. And when you have nothing to claim, then that only leaves you with the means of forging yourself with the gift of your own being.” The turtle looks over at the young fox. “You and I must continue striving. Things will get better.”
